At least 14 people were killed and 13 others injured in a massive fire that broke out in a hotel near Falpatti Machhua in central Kolkata on Tuesday, a senior police officer said.
The incident was first reported around 7:30 pm, following which ten fire tenders were deployed to the Rituraj Hotel. After nearly 10 hours of firefighting, the blaze was brought under control on Wednesday morning, a fire and emergency services official said.
A Kolkata Police officer said, “There were 88 guests in 42 rooms at the time of the incident. A boy, a girl and a woman are among the dead. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Our forensic team will examine the site, which has been cordoned off.”
Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma told reporters that a special investigation has also been formed to probe the incident.
The cause of the fire, however, is yet to be ascertained.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 each for the injured.
{{/usCountry}}Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 each for the injured.
{{/usCountry}}“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 ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the Prime Minister’s Office posted on X.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also condoled the lost lives and said that she monitored the rescue and firefighting operations throughout the night, adding that maximal fire brigade services were mobilized in the area.
"14 died eventually in total because there were combustible materials stored inside. Investigation has been ordered. My condolences to the victim families and solidarity for all affected,” Banerjee posted on X.
Earlier, local Trinamool Congress leaders had said that the chief minister had inquired about the incident over the phone and asked Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim to rush to the spot with commissioner Manoj Verma.
Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP president and union minister Sukanta Majumdar urged the state administration to ensure strict monitoring of fire safety measures, so that such incidents can be prevented in the future.
"I urge the state administration to immediately rescue those affected, ensure their safety, and provide them with necessary medical and humanitarian assistance. Additionally, I appeal for a thorough review and stricter monitoring of fire safety measures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future," he said in a post on X.
West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar also criticised the Kolkata Corporation and told news agency 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."