Deadly Hotel Fire Kills 14, Children Among the Victims

A devastating fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, India, on Tuesday night, claiming the lives of 14 individuals.

According to The Telegraph India, the victims included 11 men, a woman, and two children, with most deaths resulting from smoke inhalation.

“Plywood and adhesive, if burned, give rise to thick black fumes. That is what happened in this case. The fumes spread to the entire building,” explained a divisional fire officer.

Tragically, one hotel worker died after leaping from the building in an attempt to escape the blaze.

It took six fire engines to bring the flames under control at the Rituraj Hotel.

In the aftermath, fire officials filed a complaint against the hotel’s owners, alleging that they had been operating without a valid fire safety license.

Multiple safety systems in the hotel were reportedly non-functional.

“If at least the fire alarm had worked, many lives could have been saved,” noted a senior fire official.

Survivors also mentioned that the room sprinklers failed to activate during the incident.

The designated emergency exit was allegedly obstructed as well.

“My nephew, who was downstairs, phoned to alert me about the fire,” recalled Akash Agwarwal, one of the 99 survivors. “I thought that my family and I would run down to safety. But the moment I opened the door, a thick black wave of smoke hit me in my face. I shut the door and tried to look for an opening in the window. Luckily, I found one.”

Authorities have since begun searching for the hotel’s owner, Akash Chawla, who has not been located since the tragedy.

On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a public message on the platform X.

While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, fire director-general Ranveer Kumar indicated that it likely started on the first floor. At the time, construction was underway for a bar extension connected to the kitchen area.

Two separate investigative panels have been formed to examine the incident, including whether the necessary permits for the construction work were in place.

Incidents like this are unfortunately frequent in India, according to the Associated Press.

Although noncompliance with safety and construction codes is common among developers and residents, activists often blame civic authorities for lax enforcement and indifference.