At least 14 people were killed and 7 injured in the Kolkata hotel fire; BJP, Congress Grand Slam West Bengal Government
Speaking to the media, Kolkata Police Chief Manoj Kumar Verma said: “The fire occurred around the Rituraj Hotel’s premises. 14 bodies have been recovered and several people have been rescued by the convoy.”
Verma added that the fire was under control and rescue and investigation operations were underway. A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to explore the cause of the fire, which has not been determined.
Firefighters trap employees and guests; rescuers use ladders to reach them
The fire was reportedly spreading rapidly in the building, trapping several guests and staff. Firefighters used ladders and respiratory equipment to attract people stranded on the upper floors, and the fire reportedly fell asleep at the beginning.
The tragedy sparked a political uproar, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress targeting the West Bengal government and Kolkata municipal companies causing a riot over alleged mistakes in fire safety law enforcement. “I urge the national government to immediately rescue affected people, ensure their safety and provide them with the necessary medical and humanitarian assistance. In addition, I call for a thorough review and stricter monitoring of fire safety measures to prevent such tragic events in the future,” Spain’s BJP BJP BYKAL SUKANTA MAJUMDAR said in a statement on X.
West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar responded to similar concerns, criticizing the lack of security measures by the citizen authorities.
“It’s a tragic event. The fire broke out…a lot of people are still stuck in buildings. There is no security or security…I don’t know what the company is doing,” Sarkar told the news agency ANI.
