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A heart-wrenching accident has come to light from Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, which has brought back horrifying memories of the gruesome hotel and factory fires in the capital Delhi. A massive fire suddenly broke out in a multi-storey hotel located in a busy area of ​​Kolkata. So far, 9 people have been confirmed dead in this tragic accident, while dozens of people have suffered serious burns. It is feared that many people are still trapped on the upper floors of the hotel, in view of which fire and police teams are carrying out massive rescue operations on a war footing.

How did the fire start and how did the smoke spread?

According to eyewitnesses and initial reports, the fire broke out in the lower floor or electrical panel area of ​​the hotel after midnight. Due to the wooden interior and excessive work of false ceiling inside the building, the flames took a huge form within a few minutes. Within no time the stairs and corridors were filled with dense and poisonous black smoke. Since most of the guests and staff were in deep sleep at that time, they did not get a chance to recover or escape. Most of the people are said to have died due to asphyxiation due to smoke rather than being burnt by the flames.

Repetition of Delhi-like accidents: attempts to jump from windows

The scene of the accident was so horrific that many guests were seen pleading for help from the windows and balconies to save their lives. Some people tried to get down with the help of sheets and curtains, in which many people fell and got seriously injured. Eyewitnesses said that the emergency exit in the building was either closed or completely blocked by smoke due to it being narrow, due to which the people inside were trapped in an environment like a gas chamber.

Big rescue operation of fire department and use of hydraulic ladder

As soon as information about the incident was received, more than 15 fire brigade vehicles and Quick Response Team reached the spot.

• Rescue by breaking windows: Fire brigade personnel broke the glass windows and started providing fresh air to the people trapped inside and pulling them out.

• hydraulic ladder: Dozens of people trapped on the upper floors were brought down safely with the help of hydraulic ladders and cranes.

• admitted to hospital: The burnt and unconscious people were immediately sent to nearby government and private hospitals, the condition of many of them remains critical.

Questions raised on fire safety audit and ignoring rules

This horrific tragedy has once again raised serious questions on the blatant disregard for fire safety rules in commercial buildings and hotels. Preliminary investigation revealed that the hotel did not have the mandatory fire NOC and automatic sprinkler system in working order.

Police and the state disaster management department have cordoned off the entire area and a forensic team has been called in to investigate the exact cause of the fire (like short circuit or gas leakage). The local administration has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident and has started the process of registering a case against the responsible hotel management under several strict sections including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.