Eight persons, out of which five were from Meghalaya, were killed after a fire broke out in a hotel at Tarapith, a temple town in West Bengal’s Birbhum district in the early hours of Monday, police said.
“In all 43 people were rescued. Of them eight persons have died. One is still admitted in the hospital. Among the dead, five are from Meghalaya and three from Alipurduar in West Bengal,” said Vidit Raj Bhundesh, superintendent of police of Birbhum.
According to people aware of the details, the fire broke out at the hotel’s reception around 4am when most of the guests were asleep. The fire soon spread to the other floors. Black smoke could be seen billowing out of the windows in video clippings on social media. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
Deep Dive
What factors contributed to the high casualty rate in the West Bengal hotel fire?
Why was the fire alarm system ineffective during the hotel fire incident in Tarapith?
How could the emergency response have improved the outcome of the hotel fire?
Preliminary investigations revealed that while hoteliers couldn’t access the front door because of the fire in the reception area, the emergency exit at the back was locked. The terrace door was also blocked with plywood. The victims had no escape and the keys were also not available, police said.
“There was a back door which was locked. The terrace door was also blocked. This trapped the smoke. Had the emergency exit and the terrace doors were open, more people could have survived,” Bhundesh said.
{{/usCountry}}“There was a back door which was locked. The terrace door was also blocked. This trapped the smoke. Had the emergency exit and the terrace doors were open, more people could have survived,” Bhundesh said.
{{/usCountry}}“We locked ourselves in the bathroom. We opened the windows and put on the shower. The police rescued us after around 45 minutes,” Tapanjyoti Mondal, a survivor said. Mondal had gone there with his wife, mother, two children and sisters.
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Guests alleged that the fire alarm system did not work when the fire broke out. Many hoteliers came to know when they heard screams and people shouting.
“We couldn’t hear any fire alarm. We came out of the room to check when I heard screams. It was then that I spotted the fire and came out when we heard people shouting,” said another hotelier.
As smoke engulfed the five-storey building many managed to escape, including some even climbing down a tree adjacent to the hotel.
“A case is being registered. Investigation is going on,” said a police officer.
Tarapith is a major Hindu pilgrimage in West Bengal centered around the Tarapith Temple dedicated to Goddess Tara. Thousands of devotees had gathered at the temple town as it was the last day of the Shravan month.