It was business as usual for Rituraj Hotel in Mechhuapatti, located in central Kolkata’s crowded Burrabazar neighbourhood, on Tuesday — until a devastating fire engulfed the six-storey building, killing 14 people, including a woman and two children.
The fire, which broke out at the budget hotel housing 88 occupants in 42 rooms, was spotted around 7:30–8pm. Within minutes, thick smoke spread through the corridors, blinding and choking guests who scrambled to escape.
Photos and videos showed people trying to flee through windows and narrow ledges of the building.
One hotel staff member, identified as Manoj Paswas, died after jumping from one of the floors.
“Several boarders and hotel staff climbed up the stairs and went to the roof and upper-floor balconies when smoke filled the rooms and corridors. One of them panicked and jumped,” a fire brigade official told Hindustan Times.
Some guests were seen leaning out of windows and screaming for help. A boy reportedly cried out for his mother before vanishing in the blaze, while another man jumped from the fourth floor to escape, fracturing his leg.
