ADVERTISEMENTThe melancholy that descended upon Matongini Colony in the Nonadanga area was deepened by concerns about documents lost in the fire. In light of the contentious special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bengal, these documents provided a sense of assurance. “The voter cards, Aadhaar cards, and all other necessary documents were customarily stored in a trunk beneath a bed. Aadhaar cards, voter cards, ration cards and birth certificates of my children, everything was reduced to ashes,” said Halder, a hawker in Kasba New Market. The families who lost their homes have been shifted to a nearby community centre where they are being provided with food, said a police officer.

Source: The Telegraph January 09, 2026 00:41 UTC