At least three people died in a major fire at a warehouse in Kolkata’s Anandapur area in the early hours of Monday, the police said. With at least three people reported missing, a search operation is underway at the site, where firefighters are still working to extinguish pockets of fire.

The warehouse, located in Anandapur’s Nazirabad, was primarily used to store dry and packaged food and soft drinks. According to the fire department, the flames spread across two adjacent warehouses, reducing almost everything to ashes. Several employees on the night shift were trapped inside the building.

The exact cause of the fire remains unclear. The fire brigade received information about the blaze at around 3 am. However, emergency responders faced challenges as the warehouse was situated deep inside a narrow lane. After a grueling effort by 12 fire engines, the blaze was brought under partial control after 11 am, officials said.

Suvendra Kumar, superintendent of Baruipur police district, confirmed the fatalities on Monday afternoon, stating, “Three deaths have been confirmed so far. The search for the others is ongoing.”

There are fears that the death toll may rise.

Minister Aroop Biswas visited the site to oversee the rescue operations and spoke to the families of the missing people. He stated that the police and the fire department were working jointly and that officials had entered the building to determine if anyone else was still trapped inside.

“My son-in-law was inside on night duty. He called at 3 am, crying, ‘Save me!’ We rushed here immediately but couldn’t find anyone,” said a relative of one of the missing people.

A worker said that during their last phone conversation, those trapped inside the building said they were trying to break a wall to escape. Communication was lost shortly after because the warehouse was located so deep within a narrow alley that firefighters could not reach it easily and had to use exceptionally long hoses to supply water, which delayed the containment of the fire.