14 Killed In Massive Fire At Hotel In Busy Kolkata Market, People Jump From Windows

Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma said 14 bodies have been recovered and several people have been rescued by the teams.

The fire incident led to panic in the area, where the largest wholesale market in eastern India is located.

Source : Social media

Kolkata Fire: At least 14 people were killed in a massive fire that broke out at a hotel in central Kolkata's Mechuapatti area on Tuesday night. The blaze ripped through the Rituraj Hotel around 8.15 pm, following which people tried to escape through the windows and narrow ledges of the building in the congested Burrabazar area. 

The fire incident led to panic in the area, where the largest wholesale market in eastern India is located.

Ten fire tenders reached the spot and brought the blaze under control. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma said 14 bodies have been recovered and several people have been rescued by the teams. A special team has also been formed for the investigation, he said.

Opposition Targets Kolkata Corporation

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar urged the West Bengal administration to carry out "stricter monitoring" of fire safety measures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.

"I urge the state administration to immediately rescue those affected, ensure their safety, and provide them with necessary medical and humanitarian assistance. Additionally, I appeal for a thorough review and stricter monitoring of fire safety measures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future," he said in a post on X.

West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar also questioned the Kolkata Corporation over the incident. "This is a tragic incident. A fire broke out...A lot of people are still stuck in the building. There was no safety or security...I don't know what the corporation is doing," he said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but an electrical short circuit is suspected to have triggered it.