April 30, 2025 | 05:07 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A massive fire broke out at a six-story hotel in Kolkata, India, killing at least 15 people, police said on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. As reported by Channel News Asia, several people were reportedly forced to clamber out of windows and onto the rooftop to save themselves.
The fire started around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Rituraj Hotel, located on Madanmohan Street in the Burrabazar area of Kolkata. It took hours to put out the fire, and it was finally brought under control around 1:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
Police said most of the victims died due to suffocation. Some people were trapped inside the hotel as smoke filled the stairs and corridors.
"Several people were rescued from rooms and roof of the hotel," said Kolkata Police Chief Manoj Verma to reporters, stating that the fire was now under control.
He confirmed at least 15 fatalities.
State Minister Sujit Bose told PTI on Wednesday: "There were 15 fatalities in last night’s fire. Eight of the deceased have been identified." Most of the victims were visitors from other states, officials said.
A Kolkata police officer quoted by The Hindustan Times said: "There were 88 guests in 42 rooms at the time of the incident. A boy, a girl and a woman are among the dead. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Our forensic team will examine the site, which has been cordoned off."
As the smoke spread throughout the building, some guests ran to the roof while others clung to the window sills, according to The Indian Express. Firefighters used hydraulic ladders for rescue operations, and loudspeakers were used to calm those trapped inside.
Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and frequent disregard for safety regulations.
The news agency Press Trust of India, which captured images of soaring flames from the building, reported that "several people were seen trying to escape through the windows and narrow ledges of the building."
The Kolkata newspaper The Telegraph reported that at least one person died as they "jumped off the terrace trying to escape" the fire.
Verma said the fire had been successfully contained and "cooling operations are underway."
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