8 dead in fire at 2 warehouses in Bengal’s South 24 Parganas; flames still rage, rescue ops underway
Kolkata (PTI): A massive fire at two adjoining warehouses in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, which killed at least eight people, is yet to be fully doused over 24 hours later, officials said on Tuesday.
Several workers are feared trapped in the twin units located in Najirabad area on the outskirts of Kolkata, as fire tenders stationed at the site try to put out the blaze that erupted around 3 am on Monday, they said.
Twelve fire tenders were pressed into service, and the blaze was brought largely under control after nearly seven hours, though pockets of fire continued to smoulder in several parts of the gutted structures, an official said.
“Several charred bodies and skeletal remains have been recovered since Monday night, though the fire is still raging in pockets, raising fears that the toll may rise further,” he said.
All those dead or missing are from Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur and South 24 Parganas districts, the official said.
Fire department sources said DNA samples will be collected from family members to identify the bodies and skeletal remains recovered from the site.
The cause of the blaze and the extent of damage are yet to be ascertained.
During a rescue operation around 5 pm on Monday, three severely charred bodies were recovered from the adjoining godowns, while five more bodies were found later, taking the death toll to eight.
Baruipur SP Shubhendu Kumar had earlier said the identities of the deceased could not be ascertained, as the bodies were charred beyond recognition.
Initially, six people were reported missing, but families of those feared trapped said the number could be more than 10, he said.
West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose had on Monday evening said that rescue operations were continuing and teams working to douse lingering pockets of fire across different floors of the gutted structures.
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Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University, Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ passes away at 63
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Mangaluru: Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ, Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University Rector of St Aloysius Institutions, and Vice President of Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society (MJES), breathed his last on Friday, April 10. He was 63.
Born in 1963, Fr Melwin Pinto completed his schooling and college education at St Aloysius before joining the Jesuit order on June 20, 1981. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest on April 14, 1997.
Over the years, he held several academic qualifications, including an MA in English, a Master’s degree in Education, and diplomas in psychology and counselling as well as school administration.
He began his career in education as headmaster of St Joseph’s Primary School and High School in Hassan, serving between 1996 and 1999.
He later founded St Joseph’s Indian PU College and served as its principal until 2007. He subsequently served as headmaster of St Aloysius High School, Mangaluru, from 2007 to 2011, and later as principal of St Joseph’s PU College, Hassan, until 2012.
Fr Melwin Pinto also worked with Vatican Communications and Radio in Rome, contributing to its English desk for Asia and Indian languages.
He later served as superior and director of Fatima Retreat House in Valencia for two years from May 2017, before being appointed as superior of the Jesuit study home ‘Vidyaniketan’ in Dharwad.
He was also closely associated with the development of St Aloysius Institutions and played a key role in securing the status of a Deemed-to-be University. His contribution to the education sector and efforts towards innovation were widely acknowledged. He was known for maintaining close relations with people from all sections of society.
Legislative Council MLA Ivan D’Souza, in a statement, said the demise of Fr Melwin J Pinto was a huge loss to the educational and religious fields and had created a significant void in society.
Dakshina Kannada District in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also expressed grief, stating that his service and contributions to education would always be remembered.
Details regarding the funeral are yet to be announced.
