Kolkata hotel fire: Leaseholder, two employees detained for questioning

A fire at a residential hotel in central Kolkata killed nine people, including a child, with seven of the victims identified as Bangladeshi nationals. Police have arrested the hotel’s leaseholder and detained two employees for questioning.

The arrested man, identified as Abu Jafar, was the leaseholder of Hotel Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street. Police arrested him from the Entally Main Market area.

The fire broke out at the hotel at around 2am on Thursday (August 20), according to Kolkata Police.

Officers from the New Market police station rushed to the scene and alerted the fire service and the CESC, the city’s power utility.

Firefighters and police evacuated around 60 people from the building during an extended rescue operation.

Nine people—including two women and a child—were found unconscious and taken to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Kolkata Police have formed a special investigation team to determine how the blaze started and whether any safety violations contributed to the deaths. The hotel premises have been cordoned off as the investigation continues.

The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said seven of the deceased were Bangladeshi nationals and two were Indian citizens.

Four of the Bangladeshi victims were members of the same family from Kushtia, while another was from Dhaka. The identities of the remaining two victims have yet to be confirmed.

The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission has also opened a 24-hour helpline to help identify the victims and assist their families.