Nine Dead in Kolkata Hotel Fire
A pre-dawn fire swept through a multi-occupancy building housing several budget hotels and guest houses in central Kolkata early on Wednesday, killing nine people – six men, two women and a child, and injuring at least six others, most of them from smoke inhalation.
The blaze broke out between approximately 1:45 a.m. and 2:50 a.m. on the second or third floor of the five-storey structure on Mirza Ghalib Street near New Market. Five fire tenders, supported by police and disaster management teams, brought the fire under control within about an hour. Rescue operations continued until around 4:30 a.m., with between 30 and 80 people evacuated as thick smoke filled narrow stairwells and passages.
West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul confirmed the casualty figures and said police were investigating the nationalities of the victims. Ten guest houses had been operating inside the single building. Paul announced that a joint inspection drive involving the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, police, fire services and her department would examine illegal or non-compliant properties. “This cannot be allowed… Definite action will be taken,” she said.
Fire and Emergency Services Minister Kaushik Chowdhury described conditions inside as “very bad.” He said the deceased included both Indian and Bangladeshi nationals whose identities were still being established, and that the building management had failed to meet basic safety and construction standards. The cause is suspected to be an electrical short circuit, possibly linked to an air conditioner, pending forensic examination.
Multiple reports indicate that most of the victims were Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment, a common pattern in the area popular with budget medical tourists. Survivors spoke of waking to cries for help and dense smoke, with no functional fire alarms, extinguishers or emergency exits. The building contained extremely small rooms, narrow passages and only one primary exit, turning the relatively low-intensity fire into a lethal trap through poor ventilation. Firefighters noted the absence of significant burn injuries, confirming that most deaths resulted from suffocation.
Police have registered a case against the building owner at New Market police station, detained at least two hotel staff for questioning and are searching for the owner. The incident is the second major hotel fire in West Bengal within days, following a blaze at a lodge in Tarapith that also claimed nine lives and led to the sealing of several non-compliant hotels.
As of Wednesday afternoon the injured remained under treatment for smoke-related complications at hospitals including Calcutta Medical College. Bodies were undergoing identification and forensic teams were examining the site. Officials have signalled a broader city-wide inspection of similar multi-occupancy buildings to enforce licensing and fire-safety rules.
The tragedy underscores persistent challenges in Kolkata’s older commercial districts, where demand for affordable lodging near medical facilities has fuelled the proliferation of poorly regulated guest houses. Further details on victim identification, the exact cause and any arrests are expected in the coming days.
