14 dead in Kolkata hotel blaze; PM announces Rs 2-lakh aid to victims' kin

At least 14 people have died in the massive fire that destroyed a budget hotel located in the congested Mechuapatti area of Burrabazar in central Kolkata on Tuesday news agency PTI reported Thirteen others have suffered injuries in the incident which has led to a political blame game and calls for accountabilityThe fire broke out around 730 pm in the sixstorey Rituraj Hotel and quickly engulfed the building trapping several of the 88 guests staying in 42 rooms at the time officials saidMost of those who died were trapped inside and could not escape the thick smoke said a senior officer of the Fire and Emergency Services DepartmentThe majority of the victims died due to suffocation while a few reportedly jumped off upper floors in panic PTI reportedThe victims include 11 men a woman and two childrenAll the 14 bodies have been identified said Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim after visiting the injured on WednesdayKolkata hotel blaze brought to control after 10 hours of firefightingHe also informed that arrangements were being made to hand over the bodies to the victims familiesPolice Commissioner Manoj Verma and State Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose initially confirmed 15 fatalities but later revised the toll to 14 after crossverification with hospitals and rescue agencies reported PTIThe initial reports mentioned 15 casualties There was some confusion But after verification the number has been corrected to 14 That is the confirmed figure we have at the moment Verma told reportersHowever Hakim maintained that 15 had diedAll the deceased have been identified and police are in touch with the families he saidTen fire tenders were deployed and after nearly 10 hours of intense firefighting the blaze was brought under control in the early hours of Wednesday officials saidDid Kolkata hotel flout fire compliance normsMeanwhile eyewitnesses described chilling scenes of horror with flames leaping from windows guests screaming for help and some people jumping off from windows to escape the blazeFirefighters used ladders and ropes to rescue dozens of trapped guests as thick black smoke billowed from the buildingThe cause of the fire is under investigation but new inputs indicate gross negligence and flouting of fire safety norms by the hotelThe hotel allegedly violated multiple safety regulations The only staircase was blocked and ventilation points were sealed due to an underconstruction illegal dance bar on the same floor which severely hampered evacuation efforts a senior fire department official saidBose confirmed that the hotel had defunct fire alarms and sprinklersThis is a clear case of negligence The hotel had no active fire safety systems in place the minister saidInjured to be given Rs 50000aid says PM ModiDirector General of Fire Services Ranvir Kumar said the hotels fire safety clearance had expired three years agoAn FIR first information report has been filed and the hotel owners are absconding he saidMeanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the tragedy and announced financial assistance for the families of the victimsAnguished 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 50000 the PMO said in a post on XChief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed condolences and maintained that 14 people have died in the incidentMy heart goes out to the victims of the fire incident that took place at a private hotel Rituraj in Burra Bazar area I monitored the rescue and firefight operations throughout the night and mobilised maximal fire brigade services in the area Fourteen died eventually in total because there were combustible materials stored inside Investigation has been ordered Banerjee posted on XCM announces Rs 2lakh compensation for victims familiesThe chief minister has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the victims and Rs 50000 to the injuredFollowing the incident Kolkata Police constituted a Special Investigation Team SIT to probe the cause of the fireMeanwhile the political temperature soared over the tragedy with the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leaders attacking the ruling Trinamool Congress governmentState BJP President Sukanta Majumdar accused Chief Minister Banerjee of insensitivity for continuing with the inauguration of the Jagannath Dham in Digha while the fire tragedy was unfolding in KolkataYesterday a devastating fire in the Mechhua area of Burrabazar claimed the lives of more than 14 innocent people Many more are battling for their lives Yet the chief minister chose to remain silent and continued with her religious event in Digha Majumdar said in a statementBJP leader Sajal Ghosh also slammed the government pointing out to previous fire tragedies like the 2010 Stephen Court and 2011 AMRI Hospital infernosHow many more lives must be lost before the government acts on unsafe buildings in Kolkata he askedTMC Member of Parliament MP Abhishek Banerjee expressed sorrow over the incidentMy heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and I pray for the swift recovery of those injured The state administration along with volunteers from various organisations is making every effort to support those affected and to ensure effective relief and rehabilitation In this difficult hour we stand in unwavering solidarity with all those impacted he wrote on XWith PTI inputsatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params