14 dead in Kolkata hotel fire, SIT formed to investigate tragedy
The Statesman | 1 May 2025
A devastating fire at a hotel in the Mechhua Fruit Market area of Burrabazar claimed 14 lives last night, shaking central Kolkata.
Among the deceased are 11 men, one woman, and two children, police sources confirmed. Thirteen others were injured, of whom 12 were discharged after preliminary treatment, while one remains under treatment.
Advertisement
The fire broke out around 7.30 p.m. in a hotel located in a congested bylane connecting Central Avenue and Bidhan Sarani. The blaze reportedly originated on the second floor and rapidly spread across the six-storey building, trapping several occupants. At the time, 88 guests were lodged in 42 rooms.
Ten fire engines battled the flames for nearly eight hours to bring the situation under control.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma confirmed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by the Deputy Commissioner of the Central Division, to probe the cause of the fire and any lapses in safety measures. A forensic team is expected to visit the site for further analysis.
According to preliminary findings, highly flammable materials stored inside the hotel may have caused the fire to spread rapidly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. She announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief, tweeting: “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire mishap in Kolkata… 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.” Miss Banerjee, currently in Digha for the Akshay Tritiya inauguration of a Jagannath temple, said she had been monitoring the rescue operations throughout the night. She lauded the efforts of the fire brigade, police, and local residents, who helped rescue 99 people. “The presence of combustible materials inside the hotel led to the fast spread of the fire,” she reiterated.
Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, police commissioner Manoj Verma, and state minister Shashi Panja were present at the site until 3 a.m, overseeing the operation.
Anand Paswan, one of the victims, jumped from a cornice in an attempt to escape the smoke and flames. He succumbed to his injuries at the Kolkata Medical College Hospital. Locals described the hotel as having turned into a “gas chamber” due to the dense smoke, making it difficult for firefighters to enter. Using ladders, they broke through windows on the fourth and fifth floors to reach trapped guests. The area where the fire occurred is tightly packed with shops and residential buildings, raising concerns about fire safety regulations and enforcement in Kolkata’s older neighbourhoods. Investigations are underway to determine whether there were serious lapses in safety compliance.
Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, meanwhile, blamed administrative negligence. “This happened because the entire state administration went on a three-day holiday to Digha,” he alleged in a post on X.