West Bengal: At least 7 killed in Hotel fire in Tarapith town

In West Bengal, at least seven people were killed and several others critically injured in a fire at a hotel in  Birbhum district. early on Monday, police said. The fire erupted around 5 am on the ground floor of the four-storey hotel in the temple town of Tarapith, when most of the guests were asleep, they said. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and they brought the blaze under control.The injured were rescued and taken to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment.The fire exposed the lack of basic fire safety infrastructure at the hotel. According to officials, the hotel had little or no fire detection or prevention equipment.

Hotel fire KILLS at least 7 pilgrims in eastern India

Several others were injured as flames tore through a hotel in West Bengal’s Tarapith pic.twitter.com/uxTb1dUoNl

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The fire broke out at the hotel adjacent to Tarapith Police Station around 5 a.m. on Monday. According to the preliminary assessment by the fire department, the blaze is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. Birbhum Superintendent of Police (SP) Vidit Raj Bhundesh said seven people have died in the incident. He said that no smoke or flames were visible from outside the hotel when police and fire brigade teams reached the spot.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives in a fire incident in Birbhum, West Bengal. The Prime Minister said that the local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected by the mishap.
Tarapith was particularly crowded as Monday marked the last Monday of Shravan, a period that draws large numbers of devotees to the temple town. Devotees visit the Tarapith temple, where Maa Tara is worshipped, while Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Chandrachur.Police have arrested the owner of a hotel. As per media reports, the arrested owner, Kalyan Paul, of the hotel ‘Bideshini’, close to the Tarapith Kali temple, claimed that there were no loopholes in the hotel’s fire safety measures and that there was an exit door at the back of the building.