At least 14 people were killed in a fire at a hotel in central Kolkata on Tuesday night, including one person who died after jumping off the terrace in an attempt to escape the blaze.
Most of the victims died from suffocation.
The fire erupted at Rituraj Hotel in the Mechua area of Burrabazar, one of Kolkata’s oldest and most congested neighborhoods, around 8:15 pm on Tuesday.
“Fourteen bodies have been recovered and several people have been rescued by the teams,” Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma told reporters.
Ten fire engines were dispatched to the site, and the fire was brought under control around 1 am Wednesday.
“The fire is under control and rescue is underway. A special team has been formed for further investigation,” he said.
Many were suspected to be trapped inside the hotel till late on Tuesday.
A video circulating online shows people jumping from the building’s third-floor cornice to save themselves, with at least one person dying after jumping from the terrace.
A man, identified as Sanjoy Paswan, was declared dead on arrival after falling from the building while attempting to flee the fire, according to Kolkata Medical College Hospital officials.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she is continuing to monitor the fallout of the unfortunate fire.
She appreciated the efforts of the Fire Services and police in rescuing around 99 people from extremely adverse circumstances.
She also thanked local residents for their cooperation and assistance during the rescue operations.
She revealed that preliminary reports indicated the victims had died due to suffocation or injuries sustained while trying to escape and added that further investigations were underway.
The state government would provide an ex-gratia amount of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased, and ₹50,000 to each injured person.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the incident and announced that ₹2 lakh would be provided from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased person, and ₹50,000 to those injured.
“Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire mishap in Kolkata. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” he wrote on X.
Union minister and state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that “the city’s fire safety systems are said to be reviewed after each incident—but what has that ever led to? Due to such an incompetent administration, the entire city has virtually turned into a tinderbox.”
“Kolkata has a long, grim history of deadly fires. After countless lives have been lost and everything destroyed, every time, the failed West Bengal government under @MamataOfficial has shed crocodile tears!” he said.
Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar told ANI: “This is a tragic incident. A fire broke out… A lot of people are still stuck in the building. There was no safety or security… I don’t know what the corporation is doing.”
