At least five fire engines were deployed. Firefighters recovered the bodies of six men, two women and a boy and rescued six injured persons, who were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.
Kolkata: Nine people, including at least five Bangladeshi nationals, died and six others were injured after they failed to escape a devastating fire that broke out early Wednesday at a hotel in Kolkata’s New Market area.
The blaze at Shikha Inn was the second deadly hotel fire in West Bengal within 24 hours, after nine pilgrims died in a fire at a hotel in Tarapith in Birbhum district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths, while chief minister Suvendu Adhikari blamed the previous Trinamul Congress government for inadequate fire safety measures at the hotel and constituted a five-member special investigation team to probe the tragedy.
Dark smoke began billowing from Shikha Inn, located on the second floor of the six-storeyed Florence Mansion on Mirza Ghalib Street, at around 1.30 am. The building, located near the state fire and emergency services department headquarters, also houses other hotels.
Most guests were asleep when the fire broke out. Survivors recalled waking up after hearing screams outside. Some managed to escape through the stairs despite thick smoke, while several others climbed onto the cornice after coming out through windows.
At least five fire engines were deployed. Firefighters recovered the bodies of six men, two women and a boy and rescued six injured persons, who were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.
Among the dead was Sandip Paswan, 19, of Giridih in Jharkhand, who worked as a receptionist at the hotel.
Five of the victims were Bangladeshi nationals. Four belonged to a family from Kustia — journalist Debasish Dutta, 39, of Ajker Patrika, his wife Afsana Sharmin, 27, their three-year-old son Swanashis and Dutta’s father-in-law Mohammad Akram Ali, 64.
Dutta and his family had checked into the hotel on Tuesday after returning from Bengaluru, where his wife had undergone treatment. The fifth Bangladeshi victim was Ahmed Babu, 40, a businessman from Dhaka.
The identities of the remaining three victims were yet to be established. Several Bangladeshi nationals were among the survivors, prompting the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to open a helpline.
A preliminary investigation indicated that a short circuit in an air-conditioning unit may have triggered the blaze.
Modi expressed grief over the deaths and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families. He also wished the injured a speedy recovery and said the local administration was assisting those affected.
