A hotel fire killed 14 people in Kolkata, India, Tuesday night.
Among the dead were 11 men, one woman, and two children, most of whom died of smoke inhalation, according to The Telegraph India.
“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,” a divisional fire officer said.
One of the hotel employees died after jumping from the building to escape the flames.
It ultimately took six fire engines to douse the inferno at the Rituraj Hotel.
Afterward, the fire department filed a complaint against the hotel’s owners for allegedly operating without a valid fire license.
Many of the hotel’s fire safety features weren’t even working.
“If at least the fire alarm had worked, many lives could have been saved,” a senior fire department official said.
Survivors reported that the sprinklers in their rooms never turned on, either.
The designated fire exit was also reportedly blocked.
“My nephew, who was downstairs, phoned to alert me about the fire,” Akash Agwarwal, one of the 99 survivors, said after the blaze.
“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.”
Police launched a search for the hotel’s owner, Akash Chawla, who hasn’t been seen since the fire.
On Thursday, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement on the social media platform X.
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 PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM…
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 30, 2025
While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, it likely originated from the first floor. The hotel was adding a bar extension, which adjoined the kitchen, fire director-general Ranveer Kumar said.
Two investigative committees have since formed to probe the incident, including to determine if the hotel even had permits for the extension work.
Such fires are common in India, according to the Associated Press.
While builders and residents are often to blame for shirking fire and building codes, activists also accuse civic authorities of being negligent and apathetic.
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