Nine people, including two women and a four-year-old child, were killed after a fire broke out at a building housing multiple hotels and guest houses on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata in the early
hours of Wednesday.
Several others were rescued from the building as thick smoke rapidly spread through the cramped premises.
According to Times Now, police sources found that the G+4 building did not have a fire licence and had not undergone a fire safety audit.
Investigators also found that walls had allegedly been constructed in a way that blocked an emergency fire exit, potentially making evacuation and rescue more difficult.
The building, estimated to be around 70 to 80 years old, was reportedly being used to operate nearly 10 guest houses.
The report quoted police sources raising concerns over its electrical arrangements, saying around four to five air conditioners were being operated through a single permitted electricity connection.
Cramped Building, Multiple Hotels
The reports point to several safety concerns inside the building.
West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Minister Kaushik Chowdhury said each floor housed multiple hotels or guest houses and described the passageways as extremely narrow.
According to news agency PTI, the minister said there were four to five hotels on every floor and that many of the rooms were cramped and did not even have windows.
He said one couple trapped inside a room could be rescued through the only available window, highlighting the limited escape options inside the premises.
Survivors also described the difficulty of escaping after smoke filled the building.
One guest told PTI that dark smoke engulfed the second and third floors and that the fire was raging near the staircase. Another survivor said there was only one entrance leading to the staircase.
Some rescued guests also alleged that there were no fire alarms or adequate safety equipment at the hotel.
Deaths Linked To Smoke And Suffocation
Initial findings by police and the West Bengal Fire Services Department indicated that the nine victims died from suffocation or asphyxia rather than burn injuries.
Officials said burn injuries were not found on most of the bodies.
The fire brigade received information at around 2.07 am and began the rescue operation almost immediately, according to PTI.
Five fire tenders were deployed, while officials said around 80 people were rescued. Other official accounts put the number rescued at around 60, with the exact figure subject to the ongoing investigation.
The exact cause of the fire was not yet established.
Officials said a short circuit was among the possibilities being examined, while a forensic team has inspected the building.
Audit Ordered Across Hotels And Guest Houses
The tragedy prompted the West Bengal government to order a fire-safety audit of hotels, lodges and guest houses across the state.
Authorities said establishments would be scrutinised for fire clearances, licences and compliance with basic safety and construction requirements.
Kolkata Police also formed a five-member Special Investigation Team headed by a Deputy Commissioner-rank officer. A suo motu case was registered by New Market Police Station, while the state fire services department has filed a separate complaint.
The building’s owner and the owners of the hotels and guest houses operating there were reportedly not available after the fire.
Police said the building owner was absconding.
The Mirza Ghalib Street fire occurred just two days after another hotel blaze in Tarapith, Birbhum district, in which nine people were killed. The back-to-back incidents have intensified scrutiny of fire-safety standards at hotels and guest houses in West Bengal.
