Team News Riveting
Kolkata, April 30
A faint smell of burning turned into a night of horror for dozens of guests at a hotel in central Kolkata’s Mechhuapatti area as a devastating fire that engulfed the building killed 15 people and injured over a zone late Tuesday evening.
The victims include a woman and two children. The fire was first reported around 8.30 pm Tuesday. According to hotel guests, thick smoke spread through the corridors within minutes, blinding and choking people who scrambled to escape. “I was on the second floor when the power went out. I opened the door and noticed smoke coming in. People were shouting and running. I tried to knock on other doors,” said one of the guests.
Eyewitnesses said the scenes of panic and despair were on display as many guests were seen leaning out of windows and screaming for help. A boy reportedly cried out for his mother before vanishing in the blaze, and one man jumped from the fourth floor to escape, fracturing his leg, they said.
It took nearly 10 hours for the fire tenders to battle the blaze. The fire was finally brought under control on Wednesday morning. According to the Kolkata police, many deceased could not be identified because of severe burns. The condition of several of the injured is said to be critical.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the loss of lives in the fire incident, and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.
“Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire mishap in Kolkata. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the prime minister’s office said on X.
The police said there were 88 guests in 42 rooms at the time of the incident. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The Kolkata Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.
