KOLKATA: Fourteen people, including a woman and two children, lost their lives in a devastating fire that broke out at Rituraj Hotel near Falpatti Machhua in central Kolkata on Tuesday evening. Several others were rescued as emergency crews raced against time to control the blaze and evacuate those trapped.
The fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, erupted around 8:15 pm, according to reports from ANI. Ten fire tenders were deployed to the scene in a large-scale firefighting operation. While the flames were eventually brought under control, search and rescue efforts continued late into the night. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the incident, according to Kolkata Police.
“So far, 14 bodies have been recovered, and several people have been rescued,” said Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma. “The fire is under control, and an investigation is underway,” he added.
Panic swept through the hotel and surrounding area as flames and smoke spread rapidly. Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes of guests trying to escape through windows and clinging to ledges. “We managed to wriggle out onto a ledge,” one survivor recounted.
In the wake of the tragedy, Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar called for immediate action. In a statement on social media platform X, he urged the state administration to ensure the rescue and safety of those affected and to provide necessary medical aid. He also demanded a thorough review and stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations to prevent such incidents.
West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar criticized the city authorities for the apparent lack of safety measures. “This is a tragic incident. People are still trapped. There was no safety or security. I don’t know what the corporation is doing,” he said in a statement to ANI.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
