Hotel fire in India claims the lives of at least 15 tourists

by Mick the Ram

At least 15 guests have died following a fire at a budget hotel in India. 

People were seen desperately scrambling to escape from the Rituraj Hotel in the congested business district of central Kolkata with some trying to escape through the windows and narrow ledges as the flames took hold. 

Six fire engines dashed to the hotel when smoke was seen billowing into the night sky.

The blaze raged throughout the night and into the morning (Wednesday 30 April) in the building near the Hooghly River in the historic Jorasanko area of the city, located in eastern India.

Early reports are indicating that eleven men, one woman, and two young girls – one aged 10 and the other just 3-years-old – died in the fire. Another person fell to their death attempting to jump to safety. 

Most if not all of the dead are believed to be tourists, although their nationalities have not yet been disclosed. It is understood that there were 88 guests inside the hotel, which is believed to have had 42 rooms.

Around a dozen people suffered burn injuries and were undergoing treatment.

Manoj Kumar Verma, Kolkata Police Commissioner, said: “Fifteen bodies have been recovered, and several people have been rescued by the teams.”

It is being reported that eight of the victims have been identified so far, including three members of a single family of five from Chennai.

The fire is now under control and a special team has been formed to mount an investigation into the cause.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that he was “anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in Kolkata. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”

Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim said: “Police will take action against any person or persons found guilty of negligence.”

The state fire services minister, Sujit Bose, also reportedly blamed the hotel for negligence in their fire safety measures. He highlighted: “The entire building was covered with glass; there was no outlet for the fire and smoke which suffocated the guests. The heavy glass panes had to be broken for the firefighters to enter – action will be taken against the owners.” 

Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often flout building laws and safety codes. Activists say builders often cut corners to save costs and have accused civic authorities of negligence and apathy.

In 2022, at least 27 people were killed when a huge blaze ripped through a four-story commercial building in New Delhi.

A similar tragic fire broke out earlier this year at a ski resort hotel in Turkey which raised questions relating to the property’s safety systems. It resulted eventually in the loss of 79 lives, several of who jumped to their death attempted to escape the impossible situation they found themselves in.

That number was rising all the time as more bodies were found, so the hope will be that everybody is accounted for in this latest tragedy in India.