At least 14 people have died following a devastating fire at a hotel in central Kolkata, West Bengal, on the night of 29 April.
The blaze broke out at the Rituraj Hotel, located near Mechhua Bazaar in the Burrabazar neighbourhood.
Among the deceased, 13 were guests while one was a hotel employee. Several others sustained injuries.
According to Indian news outlets, the fire began around 7:30pm and rapidly engulfed the building, which reportedly housed at least 47 rooms—most of them occupied.
Thick smoke quickly filled the hotel, causing many to fall unconscious or suffer from asphyxiation.
Eleven fire engines were deployed and battled the flames for nearly two hours before bringing the situation under control.
The rescue operation was complicated by intense smoke, which made it difficult for firefighters to enter the premises swiftly.
Members of the disaster response force had to smash windows to gain access and begin evacuations.
By 3am, all casualties had been recovered from the building.
In a briefing to journalists, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma confirmed the recovery of 14 bodies and several survivors.
He added that a committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the fire, which remains unknown at this stage.
Panic gripped the guests as the fire spread. Several were seen clambering onto the hotel’s ledges to escape the smoke and flames.
Firefighters used ladders to rescue them.
Guests included residents from within West Bengal as well as other states.
The incident has sparked concern over fire safety compliance in the city’s densely packed commercial and residential areas.
