Five Bangladeshis among nine killed in Kolkata hotel fire

Highlights:

• The fire broke out at around 2:50am local time on the ​second floor of the hotel building and ​was brought under control within an hour, ⁠a senior police officer told Reuters.
• Around ​30 people were evacuated safely in the incident, ​which may have been triggered by electrical short circuiting, the officer said.
• The exact cause of the blaze ​is yet to be ascertained, he added.
• Local ​media reported injuries, with at least six wounded undergoing hospital ‌treatment.
• News ⁠agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, reported citing the fire department, that among the dead were Bangladeshi citizens ​who were in ​Kolkata to ⁠seek medical treatment.
• NDTV reported all nine dead were Bangladeshis.
• The senior police ​official Reuters spoke to, however, said ​the ⁠nationalities of those killed were yet to be ascertained.
• The hotel is located in a congested ⁠area ​in central Kolkata and ​is known for budget accommodations and restaurants.

Five Bangladeshis, including a couple and their three-year-old child, were among nine people killed and six injured when a fire swept through a five-storey building housing several low-cost hotels on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata today (19 August).

West Bengal's Fire and Emergency Services Minister Kaushik Chowdhury said 80 people were rescued after the blaze, which broke out on the third floor and quickly filled the building with smoke.

The Bangladeshis identified by Kolkata Police are three-year-old Swarnasish Datta and his parents, Debasish Datta, a journalist with Bangladeshi daily Aajker Patrika, and Afsana Shimmin, all from Kushtia; Mohd Akram Ali, also from Kushtia; and three-year-old Ahamed Babu of Savar.

Another victim was identified as Sandip Paswan from Jharkhand. The identities of three others have not yet been established.

The fire brigade received the call at around 2:07am and began rescue operations a minute later. Five fire tenders were deployed, and the blaze was later brought under control.

The minister said most victims appeared to have died from asphyxia, with no burn injuries found on most bodies.

He said the fire appeared to have started from a short circuit, although the exact cause would be determined through an investigation. A forensic team has examined the building, while police have initiated proceedings against its owner, who is absconding.

Cramped hotels under scrutiny

The minister said the building's layout may have contributed to the deaths. Each floor housed four to five hotels, while many cramped rooms had no windows, leaving occupants with limited escape routes.

A couple trapped inside one room could be rescued only through its sole window, he said.

A special investigation team will examine whether the hotels had required fire-safety clearances and complied with construction and other safety regulations.

The state government has also ordered a statewide fire-safety audit of hotels and guest houses, including buildings in the vicinity of the fire.

Kaushik alleged that hotels and guest houses had proliferated across the state over the past 15 years without adequate scrutiny, raising questions about how government and civic authorities issued permissions and trade licences.

He also alleged "widespread corruption" in fire-safety arrangements and said the audit would identify illegalities and examine how such establishments were allowed to operate in cramped premises.