Kolkata (Rajeev Sharma): A pre-dawn fire at a hotel on Kolkata’s Free School Street claimed nine lives on Tuesday, with a child among those who died. Six people were also injured in the incident, which unfolded while most of the hotel’s occupants were asleep.
The fire broke out at Hotel Taiba at around 2 am, triggering panic among guests as smoke rapidly filled the premises. With visibility severely affected, rescue personnel began an emergency evacuation to reach those trapped inside the building.
According to police, 28 people were brought out safely and subsequently shifted to different hospitals in Kolkata. Several of those staying at the hotel were from outside the state, including Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment.
The victims also included people from Meghalaya and Alipurduar in West Bengal. Authorities have yet to establish what triggered the fire, and an investigation into the incident is underway.
The Kolkata tragedy follows another fatal hotel fire in West Bengal reported on August 17. In Birbhum district, nine people were killed and nine others sustained critical injuries after a blaze broke out at a hotel close to the Tarapith Temple. Preliminary information indicated that an electrical short circuit may have sparked that fire.
The two incidents have once again brought attention to the importance of adequate fire prevention and emergency evacuation measures in hotels and other lodging facilities.
