Saturday, March 29, 2025
A massive fire at Rituraj Hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal, has killed 14 people, including two children. The blaze broke out on Tuesday evening, sending guests scrambling to escape the flames.
The fire started late in the night, but firefighters have since contained it. Two people sustained serious injuries. Authorities are still investigating the cause, and a special team is looking into the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the tragedy on X and promised financial assistance to the victims’ families.
This tragedy follows a disturbing trend of deadly fires in India. In 2024, a fire at a games arcade in Gujarat killed 27 people. Just months later, a hospital fire in Uttar Pradesh claimed the lives of 10 newborns in the neonatal unit.
Reports indicate that many hotel guests ran to the roof to escape the flames. They used their phone flashlights to signal for help. Videos show people climbing out of windows onto ledges in a desperate attempt to escape. Firefighters rescued those trapped in dangerous spots using hydraulic ladders.
Kolkata Police Chief Manoj Kumar Verma confirmed that the special investigation team will examine the challenges the guests faced while Kolkata hotel fire evacuating. They will also check whether the fire exits were functional. Most victims could not escape their rooms due to the severity of the blaze.
State social welfare minister Sashi Panja called the fire “tragic” and said some victims died from suffocation despite the fire brigade’s efforts. Opposition leaders, including Sukanta Majumdar, have called for stricter monitoring of fire safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Opposition leaders, including Sukanta Majumdar, are demanding stricter monitoring of fire safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
