Nine Killed in Kolkata Hotel Fire Prompts Citywide Safety Inspections
7 sources across 6 countries
Who reported this
- Scroll.in
- Hindustan Times
- The Daily Star
- Deutsche Welle
- South China Morning Post
- Corriere della Sera
- Associated Press
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Nine people, including two women and a child, died after a fire broke out early Wednesday morning at the Shikha Inn hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata. The blaze, reported around 2 am and brought under control by 4.30 am, occurred in a five storey building that houses several small hotels. Emergency responders rescued approximately 60 people, while others were taken to the hospital. Preliminary reports from fire services suggest the fire may have been caused by an air conditioner explosion.
Officials have identified five of the deceased as Bangladeshi nationals, including a three year old boy, who had traveled to Kolkata for medical treatment. One victim was a resident of Jharkhand. Some bodies remain unidentified. Guests at the hotel reported a lack of fire alarms, fire exits, and firefighting systems.
In response to the tragedy, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has ordered the indefinite closure of the hotel and announced citywide safety inspections of hotels, markets, and other public gathering places starting August 25. These joint inspections will involve the police, fire services, and power utility to examine fire safety and licensing status. Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey stated that the administration is also investigating internal failures in monitoring and supervision.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on social media. Political framing of the event varied by lean. Center right sources highlighted the specific identities of the Bangladeshi victims and the proximity of the hotel to fire department headquarters. Left leaning coverage emphasized the lack of firefighting systems and the broader pattern of fires in the region. Center right framing also included statements from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who attributed the tragedy to the negligence of the previous regime. Center sources focused primarily on the administrative response and the resulting safety mandates.
How each side framed it
- Left
- Highlighted the lack of safety infrastructure and the vulnerability of guests in congested urban areas.
- Centre
- Focused on the administrative aftermath and the implementation of citywide safety checks.
- Centre-right
- Emphasized the identities of the victims and framed the event as a failure of the previous government's legacy.
Sources
- Centre Associated Press: Fire in a building housing several hotels in eastern India kills 9 and injures 6 - AP News
- Centre-right Corriere della Sera: India: fire in a hotel in Calcutta, at least 9 dead
- Centre Deutsche Welle: India news: Several killed in Kolkata hotel fire
- Centre-right Hindustan Times: 5 Bangladeshis among 9 dead in Kolkata hotel fire on Mirza Ghalib St: Officials
- Left Scroll.in: Nine killed in fire at Kolkata hotel
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: 9 killed in Indian budget hotel fire after suspected air-con explosion
- Centre The Daily Star: After deadly hotel fire, Kolkata administration orders sweeping safety checks across the city
93% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.