Stephen Court fire toll rises to 43

Nine more bodies were found today during clearing of debris almost a week after a fire devastated the two top floors of Stephen Court building on Park Street, taking the toll to 43.

Two charred bodies were found in the early hours, followed by seven later in the day from the fifth floor where a stench continued to prevail, Additional Director General (Fire Service), Debapriya Biswas said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Hqs), Jawed Shamim said, "The search operation is continuing and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination."

An 11-member inquiry committee, headed by former chief secretary S N Roy, was constituted by the West Bengal government today to probe the fire which broke out on March 23 in the 6-storey building. It would submit its report in three months.

Though the Commissioner of Kolkata Police Gautam Mohan Chakraborty had earlier said that FIRs were filed for 37 missing persons, the recovery of 43 bodies added to the confusion over establishing identity.

At the state-run SSKM Hospital morgue four bodies were identified during the day. Over 100 workers of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were still clearing the debris at the building. Meanwhile, Park Street has returned to normal with people casually gazing up at the fire-blackened two top floors before passing on.