7 charred to death after fire at Bengal hotel
What's the story
Seven guests were killed and others were critically injured after a massive fire broke out at Hotel Bideshinii in Tarapith, West Bengal's Birbhum district, early Monday morning. The blaze started around 4:30am on the ground floor of the hotel, which is located near the Tarapith police station. Most guests were asleep when the fire broke out.
Casualties reported
Short circuit suspected to have caused fire
The fire, which was brought under control by firefighters, resulted in the death of seven guests. Officials said they died due to asphyxiation caused by toxic smoke from burning materials such as the false ceiling and fiberglass.
The injured were rushed to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
An electrical short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire, though this has not been confirmed yet.
Temple town
Incident occurred when temple was full of devotees
Monday was particularly crowded with devotees as it marked the last Monday of Shravan. Devotees crowd the Tarapith temple, where Maa Tara is worshiped, as well as Lord Shiva in the form of Chandrachur.
Priya Roy, a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker who was present at the scene for rescue efforts, said, "As it was raining early in the morning, the boarders were sleeping soundly and we too initially couldn't understand what had happened inside the hotel."
Safety concerns
Questions raised about fire safety measures
The incident has raised questions about the fire safety measures at Hotel Bideshinii.
Officials said there was little or no fire detection or prevention equipment in place.
Munmun Mondal, a guest who survived the ordeal, recalled how "the entire hotel was engulfed with smoke." She added that they couldn't breathe and struggled to find an escape route.