Kolkata: Both President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed their anguish at the death of 14 people in a fire at a hotel in central Kolkata on Tuesday evening. Most of those killed died due to suffocation.
“The sad news of loss of lives in the fire accident in a building in Kolkata is very disturbing and painful. My deep condolences to members of the bereaved families. I pray for speedy recovery of the injured,” the President posted on X.
The PMO wrote: “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire mishap in Kolkata. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000: PM.”
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in Digha, spoke to Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma about the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those killed.
The fire broke out at the Rituraj Hotel near the wholesale fruit market at Mechhua in Kolkata on Tuesday. Dense smoke engulfed the structure within minutes. Survivors recalled that they could not access the stairs due to the smoke and stood on window sunshades to be rescued by firefighters.
One of those killed had jumped from the fourth floor to escape the blaze after which the police and firemen used loudhailers to inform hotel guests to wait on their balconies till they were brought down to safety.
Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma said that the cause of the fire is being ascertained. It is also being checked whether the hotel has adequate fire control measures. A valid fire licence has also been sought from the management.
A hotel employee said that the death toll was low as there were few guests at the hotel. Had all the rooms been occupied, many more people would have died, he said.
Union minister and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar has accused the state government of not having a proper system of checks for such places.
