1 week ago
Kolkata Hotel Fire Puts Lodges Across Three Areas Under Scanner
A fire at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata killed nine people.
After the fire, officials received complaints about other hotels and lodges.
These complaints came from areas near Sealdah Station, Howrah Station and the East Metropolitan Bypass.
Officials say some places may not have basic fire-safety equipment or protections.
Some buildings may have been changed from homes into hotels without permission.
Narrow roads could make it difficult for firefighters to reach some properties.
Residents also alleged that some accommodations were being used for suspicious activities.
The fire department plans to inspect the properties and has already sent notices to several businesses.
A hotel fire on Mirza Ghalib Street killed nine people overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
Fire officials will inspect hotels, lodges and guesthouses near East Metropolitan Bypass, Sealdah Station and Howrah Station.
Residents have complained that several accommodations in these areas operate without minimum fire-safety measures.
Some properties near the East Metropolitan Bypass allegedly converted residential buildings into commercial entities without permission.
The department issued show-cause notices to 26 entities and closure notices to 11 near Mirza Ghalib Street.
- Who
- Nine people were killed; Kolkata’s state fire services department will inspect hotels, lodges and guesthouses.
- What
- The department is investigating possible fire-safety violations at accommodations in three areas after a hotel fire.
- Where
- The fatal fire occurred on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata, while inspections are planned near East Metropolitan Bypass, Sealdah Station and Howrah Station.
- When
- The fire occurred on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday; inspections are planned afterward.
- Why
- Residents complained that several accommodations may be operating without minimum fire-safety measures, with some allegedly using unauthorized conversions and inaccessible narrow lanes.
Key facts
- Deaths
- Nine people were killed in the Mirza Ghalib Street hotel fire.
- Inspection areas
- East Metropolitan Bypass, Sealdah Station and Howrah Station.
- Show-cause notices
- Notices were issued to 26 hotel entities near Mirza Ghalib Street.
- Closure notices
- Closure notices were issued to 11 other entities.
- Reported concerns
- Insufficient fire-safety measures, unauthorized conversion of residential buildings and narrow access lanes.
- Local complaints
- Residents reported possible fire-safety violations and alleged other suspicious uses of some properties.
Quotes
A state fire services department official
Official of the West Bengal state fire services department
“After the fire incident at Mirza Ghalib Street, our officials have received several complaints from the local residents from these three areas about several hotels, lodges and guesthouses operating similarly without maintaining the minimum fire safety norms.”
thehansindia.com
“Several major private hospitals have come up during the last few years which are adjacent to the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, catering to patients not only from the city but also from other states and even from neighbouring Bangladesh.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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