Kolkata: As flames engulfed Rituraj Hotel in the Mechhua wholesale fruit market area, what followed was a gut-wrenching tale of chaos, delayed response and gallant civilian effort. By the time fire engines arrived from the CR Avenue fire station—barely 500 m away—20 minutes later, residents of the area were already deep into rescue efforts.
A critical hydraulic skylift, essential for reaching those stranded on upper floors, became a symbol of ill-preparedness. Witnesses described a harrowing delay as a fireman struggled to operate the machine. "The operator was frantically calling his colleague for guidance. Precious time was lost while he figured out how to operate the lift," said Wazir Ahmed, a trader who spent the night, mobilising youth for rescue. "Eventually, he managed to lift the platform to the roof, but by then, the damage was already done." Another witness, Baldeo Singh, lamented the delay in deploying a ladder. "It could have saved more lives had it been used earlier," he said.
As thick black smoke billowed out, panic ensued. People on the lower floors of the hotel managed to rush out to safety, but many on upper levels were trapped. Locals didn't wait for the fire engines to arrive. Brave residents, like Ajit Singh, Mohammad Nasir and Aslam, who were dining nearby, ran into the smoke-filled building to rescue elderly guests, struggling down the stairwell. Others tied ropes across the street to guide trapped individuals to safety.
Among them was Nathu Sonkar, who quickly assumed the role of a crowd controller. "Very few cops and firemen had arrived initially. People were screaming everywhere. We had to calm them down," said Sonkar, who sent an acquaintance to fetch a loudhailer from a local club and began issuing instructions over it: "Don't panic. Firemen have arrived. Head to the terrace. You will be rescued." Sonkar continued for three hours.
Firefighters, with the help of Kolkata Police's DMG, used skylifts to reach the roof and adjacent buildings. Rescue operations lasted several hours, with victims being helped down from window ledges and led through smoke-choked corridors. The officers warned on loudspeakers against jumping. As smoke enveloped the building, some boarders used the torches of their cellphones to signal for help. Others were pulled to safety through ladders placed from nearby buildings.