Kolkata: Just two days after a hotel fire in Tarapith claimed nine lives, another devastating blaze broke out at a hotel in central Kolkata, killing at least nine people, including women and children. Several others are reportedly in critical condition.
The fire broke out on the third floor of a hotel on Free School Street shortly before 2 am on Tuesday. The Kolkata Fire Brigade received the alert at around 2:07 am. Firefighters, along with personnel from New Market police station and the disaster management team, rushed to the spot and began rescue operations.
The narrow lanes around the hotel posed a major challenge for the rescue teams. Large fire engines could not reach the hotel directly, forcing firefighters to initially fight the blaze from outside. They later entered the building and began rescuing guests trapped inside.
Around 60 people were reportedly rescued from the hotel. Several guests were found unconscious after inhaling thick smoke and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to eyewitnesses, the most dangerous aspect of the fire was the dense black smoke that quickly spread through the hotel. Large flames were not initially visible from outside, but the smoke filled the rooms while many guests were asleep.
After being alerted, guests rushed towards the staircase to escape. However, the narrow entrance and exit routes led to chaos and congestion. The lift also stopped functioning after the fire broke out, leaving the staircase as the only available escape route.
Hospital sources said the bodies of the victims did not show extensive burn injuries. Doctors suspect that many of them may have died from suffocation caused by toxic smoke. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after post-mortem examinations.
The fire department has initially suspected a short circuit to be the possible cause of the blaze, although this has not yet been confirmed. Forensic experts are expected to examine the site to determine how the fire started.
Questions have also been raised over the hotel's fire safety arrangements, emergency exits and electrical infrastructure. Police have begun an investigation and are examining whether the hotel had adequate fire prevention and evacuation measures.
The tragedy comes just days after nine people died in a hotel fire in Tarapith. The two incidents in quick succession have renewed concerns over fire safety standards in hotels and other commercial establishments, particularly the availability of emergency exits and regular inspection of electrical systems.
