No fire safety clearance, owner absconding; Police calls 'Burrabazar hotel fire' criminal negligence

A major fire at a six-storey hotel on Madan Mohan Burman Street in central Kolkata late Tuesday night resulted in the deaths of 15 people. The fire broke out around midnight and continued into the early hours of Wednesday, with fire services carrying out rescue operations through the night. The incident has raised serious concerns over the absence of fire safety systems in the hotel, which was reportedly functioning without basic emergency provisions.

Officials from the state fire department confirmed that the hotel lacked essential fire-fighting infrastructure. There were no adequate fire extinguishers, alarms, or smoke exhaust systems installed. The building had only one entry and exit point, which severely obstructed evacuation and delayed rescue efforts. According to the fire department, one person died after jumping from a height in an attempt to escape.

Firefighters also reported that the building had glass walls throughout, and there was no functional ventilation. Many parts of the structure had to be forcibly broken to reach the fire's source. Though the hotel had an internal pipeline for fire-fighting, there was no reserve water available at the time of the incident, preventing initial fire control from within. Guests staying at the hotel confirmed there was no secondary exit route and that emergency preparedness was completely lacking.

State Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose, who visited the site on Wednesday, acknowledged the absence of safety arrangements. He stated that there were no provisions in place to tackle emergencies. “There was no preparedness to deal with such a crisis,” Bose said. He added that strict legal action would be initiated against the hotel management for violating safety norms.

The hotel owner has been missing since the fire broke out. Police have begun an investigation, treating the incident as a case of criminal negligence. According to officials, the fire was not a simple accident but a result of multiple regulatory lapses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced ₹2 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured, from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.