15 Dead in Hotel Fire in Calcutta
A fire hit a hotel in the city of Calcutta, eastern India, killing at least 15 people and leaving 12 other wounds. The local police commissioner that the fire began shortly after 8 pm on Tuesday (3:30 pm in Lisbon) at the Rituitaj Hotel in downtown Calcutta, a 15 million metropolis.
The flames were extinguished after an operation involving six fire trucks, he added. It has not been mentioned so far any possible cause for the fire.
Photos and videos published in the Indian media showed people trying to escape the windows and the narrow balconies of the hotel with 42 bedrooms, where 88 guests were housed.
« The hotel became a real furnace after the fire started … It seems that many victims died there asphyxiated, » said Calcutta police chief. Emergency services were able to help 20 people who took refuge on the building’s terrace to escape the flames, according to Manoj Kumar Verma. Another five people were taken from the hotel by the firefighters.
The Telegraph Calcutta newspaper reported that at least one person died by jumping from the hotel’s terrace to try to escape the flames.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on social network X that he was distressed by the loss of lives in the fire. « May the wounded recover quickly, » he added.
Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often disrespect construction laws and safety codes. Activists say that builders often save security to reduce costs and accuse civilian authorities of neglect and apathy.
