A devastating fire ripped through a budget hotel in the heart of central Kolkata on Tuesday night, claiming at least 14 lives and drawing harrowing comparisons to one of the city’s darkest fire tragedies in recent memory. The blaze broke out at the Rituraj Hotel, nestled in the congested Mechua neighbourhood of Jorasanko, around 8:15pm. As thick black smoke engulfed the building and flames devoured its upper floors, panic spread among the occupants — many of whom were believed to be daily wage workers and budget travellers.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma confirmed the death toll late into the night. “Fourteen bodies have been recovered. Several people have also been rescued. The fire is now under control. A special team has been constituted to investigate the incident,” he told reporters from the site. But the scenes that unfolded in the narrow alleys of Mechua were nothing short of gut-wrenching. Eyewitnesses described people desperately trying to escape the flames, with at least one person leaping to his death from the terrace in a futile bid to save himself. Others, trapped by smoke and heat, could be seen inching along ledges and cornices, seeking help.
For many in Kolkata, the visuals revived chilling memories of the Stephen Court fire in 2010 — where trapped residents leapt from the upper floors of a Park Street building, only to die on impact. The sight of bodies lying motionless on the ground last night was a haunting echo of that tragedy. Ten fire tenders were deployed to fight the blaze. Firefighters and police personnel used loudspeakers to urge those trapped not to panic or jump, but in a building reportedly lacking adequate fire exits and safety protocols, their words may have been too late.
Questions about negligence began surfacing almost immediately. “There was no safety or security. I don’t know what the corporation is doing,” said Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar, who spoke to ANI. Others pointed to the dense urban sprawl, crumbling infrastructure, and systemic apathy that makes central Kolkata a death trap during any emergency. Union Minister and West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar posted on X: “I urge the state administration to immediately rescue those affected, ensure their safety, and provide them with necessary medical and humanitarian assistance. A thorough review and stricter monitoring of fire safety measures is urgently needed to prevent more such tragedies.”
Rescue efforts continued well past midnight, with firefighters breaking through blocked passages and pulling out survivors gasping for air. For many, however, help came too late. As dawn breaks over Kolkata, a city already scarred by its past is once again left mourning — and asking how many more fires it will take before authorities treat safety as more than a paperwork formality.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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