The owner and manager of Rituraj Hotel in Kolkata have been arrested following a devastating fire that killed 14 people. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered surprise checks of all establishments in the city to ensure fire safety compliance, after the tragedy highlighted serious violations at the hotel. The hotel has been sealed and special committees will be formed to monitor and identify establishments flouting fire safety norms.
A boy reportedly cried out for his mother before vanishing in the blaze, and one man jumped from the fourth floor to escape, fracturing his leg, the locals said.
A massive fire that tore through a budget hotel in the congested Mechuapatti area of Burrabazar in central Kolkata on Tuesday night claimed at least 14 lives and left 13 injured, triggering a political blame game and calls for accountability.
Forty fire tenders have been battling the blaze since 1:18 IST, sources said.
Neighbours of Lalit were surprised to see his images on news channels, recalling him as a reserved individual who seldom engaged with the community at Burrabazar in Kolkata.
The Kolkata connection of Lalit Jha sparked a political debate in the state, with West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar accusing TMC MLA Tapas Roy of being in "convenience" with Jha.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said Narendra Modi should be referred to as a Bharatiya Janata Party leader and not as the prime minister in the saffron party's campaign as he is a 'caretaker PM'.
'It's dull because this time the election is spread over such a long period.'
The metro rake which had only officials and engineers on board ran under the Hooghly from Kolkata to Howrah on the other side of the river.
The cause of the fire and extent of damage are being ascertained.
The accused was arrested after the victim lodged a compliant at the Burrabazar police station, Deputy Commissioner of police (central) D P Singh said.
A fire broke out in a cloth godown in the commercial area of Burrabazar in the city on Thursday morning.
At the moment the process of "cooling down" was on at the Bagree Market and 15 fire tenders have been pressed into service for it.
By maintaining that all Indians are tolerant, the Pew centre appears to have skimmed over the surface of its subject matter without delving deep, asserts Amulya Ganguli.
The attackers, wearing 'Volunteer' badges, targeted vans belonging to NDTV, TV Today, Times Now and Sahara Samay, besides damaging the cameras of a leading Bengali news channel 24-Ghanta, accusing the media of not properly highlighting the losses suffered by the traders in the fire.
The fire brigade personnel were now spraying water jets to cool the overheated upper floors of the Nandaram Market, where the blaze broke out in the early hours of Saturday destroying over 3,000 shops as it spread from building to building in the congested commercial hub.
An explosion, probably caused by diesel stacked in the generator room on the 13th floor of Nandaram market, occurred on Sunday evening. The police commissioner said no more explosions were reported during the night. All roads in the area remained closed with over 50 fire tenders, including those of the Army and Air Force, trying to douse the fire.
The Army has been called in to assist operations to fight Kolkata's Burrabazar fire. Some army personnel have already entered the eighth floor of fire-ravaged Nandaram building to control the blaze in the 13-storeyed structure.
This is an initial assessment, but the actual loss to insurers will be known after the fire is completely doused and claims start pouring in.
The fire broke out in an air-conditioned market in the Burrabazar area.
Thousands of BJP workers from Kolkata and Howrah began marching towards Nabanna to protest the "worsening" law and order in the state.
National Disaster Response Force personnel left the spot, while State Disaster Management Department personnel continued their rescue work at the accident site with cranes, earth movers and drilling machines.
Hawkers, who have been doing business on the pavements in front of the plush hotel for decades, have wormed their way to occupy up to three-fourth of the area, making it a fire hazard.
Clashes were reported from Kharagpur in West Midnapore district, Narayanpur in North 24 Parganas, and Alipurduar town in north Bengal, among others.
Thirty fire tenders have been pressed into service to douse the fire in the building that houses over 400 business establishments at the wholesale market.
An eyewitness said some people in a minibus and private cars were trapped.
The police lodged a suo motu case against unknown persons in connection with their involvement in the mishap, a police officer said.
Many others are feared to have been trapped under the debris. Rescue work is on, as per last reports.
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