Bengal hotel fire: Two owners held, death toll rises to nine
During an inspection by the Birbhum district administration, at least 15 hotels have been found where fire safety arrangements were not in place. The administration is directed to seal all those hotels
On Monday night, a fire broke out at Hotel Bideshini in Tarapith, West Bengal. The blaze, which started around 4:30 a.m., claimed nine lives by Tuesday morning, with five victims originating from Meghalaya and four from Alipurduar, West Bengal. Police have charged the hotel's father and son, Kalyan Pal and Prabir Pal, for alleged lapses in fire-safety arrangements.
The fire, believed to be caused by an electrical short circuit on the ground floor, spread rapidly, leaving many guests unable to escape due to the disconnection of electric supply and only one open exit. The Birbhum SP Vidit Raj Bhundesh stated that the hotel administration had closed the front gate and opened only the rear gate, delaying evacuation efforts.
In response to the tragedy, the district administration has initiated inspections of all hotels, guest houses, and homestays in Tarapith, finding at least 15 establishments with violations of building safety by-laws, particularly in fire safety arrangements.
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