Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has ordered a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the deadly fire at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata, which claimed at least nine lives and left six others injured. The Chief Minister said the tragedy highlighted a “legacy of negligence” and stressed that those responsible would face action.
The fire broke out at around 2 am on Wednesday in a cramped five-storey building housing several hotels near the New Market area. Thick smoke quickly engulfed the building, trapping guests inside. Emergency teams rescued around 80 people, while several victims reportedly died after inhaling smoke.
The SIT will examine the circumstances that led to the fire, possible safety violations and whether there were administrative lapses. Investigators are also expected to look into the building's fire-safety arrangements and the difficulties faced by guests trying to escape.
Preliminary findings have raised concerns over poor ventilation and narrow exits. Many rooms reportedly lacked windows, making evacuation particularly difficult as smoke spread through the building. A short circuit is among the possible causes being examined by investigators.
Adhikari has blamed what he described as a long-standing “legacy of negligence” for the situation, arguing that safety rules and enforcement cannot be ignored in densely populated parts of the city. The government has indicated that the investigation will establish responsibility rather than simply determine how the fire started.
The tragedy has also renewed questions about fire-safety compliance in Kolkata's older and congested neighbourhoods. The state government has indicated that fire-safety inspections of hotels across West Bengal will be carried out following the incident.
The location of the blaze has added to concerns because it occurred close to the headquarters of the West Bengal Fire Department. Despite the proximity, firefighters faced difficulties reaching people trapped on the upper floors because of the building's layout and the heavy smoke.
Officials are continuing to collect forensic evidence from the site as part of the investigation. Authorities will also establish whether required permissions and safety measures were in place when the hotel was operating.
With nine deaths reported so far, the incident has once again brought Kolkata's building and fire-safety standards under scrutiny. The SIT's findings are expected to determine whether the deaths were solely the result of an accidental fire or were compounded by preventable safety failures.
The government now faces pressure to ensure that the investigation leads to concrete action and that similar establishments across the city are checked before another tragedy occurs.
