Stephen Court death toll 43, more bodies feared (Roundup)

KOLKATA - With nine more bodies extricated from the rubble at Stephen Court Monday, the death count in the March 23 blaze mounted to 43, as the Kolkata police chief expressed fears that more corpses could be lying buried in the debris of the century-old building.

Nearly a week after the city’s worst fire tragedy, the West Bengal government Monday formed an 11-member probe panel led by former home secretary Sourin Roy to find the cause of the tragedy as the surging toll took the administration by surprise.

According to the police, five bodies were identified with the help of identity cards found with the bodies.

The charred bodies recovered Monday were all found on the fifth floor of the fire ravaged building, where civic workers and firemen are working 24×7 to clear the debris amidst an unbearably foul stench and dirt.

“Two of the bodies were found in the wee hours. Another was found in the morning. Five bodies were later discovered in the afternoon,” Joint Commissioner of Police Jawed Shamim told IANS.

The ninth body was found around 4 p.m.

The corpses were handed over to the state-run SSKM hospital for identification by the families of the victims, who have been on a round-the-clock vigil at the hospital premises for the past six days with the hope of seeing their near and dear ones — dead if not alive.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Goutam Mohan Chakrabroty, who visited Stephen Court Monday and reviewed the present condition of the building, said: “We cannot rule out the possibility of finding more bodies from the debris”.

While 20 of the bodies were identified in the first two days, and 17 more ‘missing’ complaints lodged, the police authorities estimated 37 deaths. However, the recovery of six more bodies has made the administration sit up.

“Many people, who were not employed with any firms housed in the Stephen Court, could have been there in the building on that day on various work. Their family members may be unaware that they had ventured there. So no ‘missing person’ complaint was lodged,” said a senior police officer.

The inquiry committee set up by the government will fix responsibility for any negligence on the part of state agencies, landlord or tenants.

“To investigate various aspects of the devastating fire, an 11-member enquiry committee has been formed, which will submit a report within three months after examining all sides,” Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty told reporters at the state secretariat Writers’ Buildings.

The committee would also look into the preparedness of Kolkata Police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in handling the blaze and rescuing people, besides examining the legal condition of the building and the nature of modification and alteration that was carried out in later years.

The panel was formed a day after Union Finance Minister and state Congress chief Pranab Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee demanded probe into the inferno. Going a step further, Banerjee called for a judicial enquiry under a serving judge or a Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) probe.

Leaping flames engulfed the upper floors of the iconic building on Park Street last Tuesday. Only 25 of the bodies have been identified beyond any doubt so far. Several bodies have multiple claimants. DNA tests are being conducted to identify the disputed bodies and those that are completely unrecognisable.

Six people died after jumping from the top floors in a desperate bid to save themselves from the fire. Thirty-seven other charred bodies have been found till Monday afternoon.

Built by Armenian Stephen Arathoon in 1910, Stephen Court also housed the iconic Flurys tea room, the famous eatery Peter Cat, besides Cafe Coffee Day and One Step Up restaurant.