Tarapith Hotel Fire Tragedy: 9 Killed, Including Child; Fire Safety Lapses Found, SIT To Probe

Kolkata: A devastating fire engulfed a hotel in Kolkata during the early hours of Wednesday, killing at least nine people, including a child.

The flame was first seen around 2:00 am on Free School Street near New Market which is one of the densely populated places of the city. Four fire tenders rushed to the spot.

Though the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, initial reports had suggested that the fire broke out in the third floor of the building due to the explosion of an air-conditioner.

Preliminary investigations found that the hotel lacked basic fire safety measures.

Almost 60 people could be rescued from the building while nine people were declared dead when taken to the hospital.

According to the fire department, among those who have died were Bangladeshi nationals and one from Jharkhand.

Kolkata police have registered a case against Bireswar Mitra, the owner of the building and staff members.

SIT Formed

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had formed five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) which will conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. 

“Shocked and anguished by the tragic fire incident at the hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata. While we remain focused on the rescue & relief operations and conduct investigations regarding what went wrong, it is impossible to ignore the reality we are facing today. This tragedy is a grim reminder of the legacy of negligence left behind by the previous regime. For years, the City’s & State's infrastructure was allowed to grow unchecked, with structures being permitted to be built and operate as hotels and other businesses while completely ignoring mandatory fire safety norms,” (sic) said Adhikari, taking to X.

Ministers Agnimitra Paul and Tapas Roy visited the spot and also slammed the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government’s alleged corruption and negligence.