The bodies of 18 victims from the Anandapur warehouse fire near Kolkata have been identified through DNA mapping and given to their families. Initially, it was thought that these bodies were part of the 27 missing individuals, leading to a potential death toll of 45. However, official sources clarified that the death toll remains at 27, with the 18 identified bodies being those killed in the fire.
The tragic incident occurred on the night of January 26. Police sources confirmed the identification process involved matching DNA samples of the remains with those provided by the families of the deceased. Among the identified victims, 16 were from East Midnapore district, one from West Midnapore district, and one from Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district.
The families were required to visit the Katapukur morgue in south Kolkata to complete formalities before receiving the mortal remains. Relatives first reported to Narendrapur police station and were then escorted to the morgue to collect the remains. District administrations and local police authorities have reached out to the families, offering necessary assistance and support during this difficult time.
