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Crowded Burrabazar Turns Death Trap as Night Fire Engulfs Budget Hotel; Political Storm Brews Over CM's Response
Kolkata: At least 14 people, including two children and a woman, died in a devastating fire that swept through Rituraj Hotel in the densely populated Mechuapatti area of Burrabazar, central Kolkata, on Tuesday night. Thirteen others sustained injuries, several of them critically, in one of the deadliest fire incidents the city has witnessed in recent times.
The blaze broke out around 7:30 PM and raged for nearly 10 hours before firefighters managed to bring it under control early Wednesday morning. Ten fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames in the low-cost hotel that had 88 guests across 42 rooms at the time.
The official death toll, initially reported as 15 by authorities including Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma and State Fire Minister Sujit Bose, was later revised to 14 after verification. “There was some confusion in the initial reports. The confirmed toll stands at 14,” said Verma.
Among the deceased are 11 men, a woman, and two children—a boy and a girl. So far, eight victims have been identified. Rescue efforts continued through the night as emergency teams scoured the debris.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, announcing an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for each of the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). “Anguished by the loss of lives... May the injured recover soon,” the PMO posted on X.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed the toll and ordered an investigation. “I monitored rescue operations throughout the night. The presence of combustible materials intensified the fire. A probe has been ordered,” she posted on social media, expressing condolences to the victims’ families.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, though a forensic team is slated to inspect the site. The area has been cordoned off and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by Kolkata Police to conduct a detailed probe.
The incident has sparked a political firestorm. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar slammed the chief minister for “insensitivity,” alleging she continued with the inauguration of the Jagannath Dham project in Digha even as the tragedy unfolded. “This exposes her lack of empathy... She was busy exploiting religion for political gain while people burned to death,” he said, urging BJP workers to aid victims’ families.
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