Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Kolkata Police, Fire Officials Audit Shopping Malls After Hotel Fire
Kolkata officials are checking whether shopping malls are safe in case of a fire.
Police and fire workers visited several malls, including South City Mall and Acropolis Mall.
They looked at fire equipment, emergency stairs and safe ways for people to leave.
They also checked restaurants and food courts inside the malls.
The checks reportedly involve 29 malls.
The inspections began after a hotel fire killed nine people.
A government report led to 919 hotel and guest-house licenses being cancelled.
About 40 restaurants and food shops also lost their licenses after inspectors found food-safety problems.
Kolkata Police and Fire Department officials inspected shopping malls including South City Mall and Acropolis Mall.
Officials checked fire-safety systems, documents, emergency stairs, exit routes and food-court safety arrangements.
The audit reportedly covers 29 small, medium and large shopping malls across Kolkata.
The inspections followed a hotel fire that killed nine people at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street.
West Bengal cancelled 919 hotel and guest-house licenses, while about 40 restaurants and food shops also lost licenses over safety violations.
- Who
- Kolkata Police and Fire Department officials, with related checks by the West Bengal government and Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
- What
- Officials conducted fire-safety audits at shopping malls and checked restaurants and food courts for safety compliance.
- When
- The mall inspections took place on Wednesday, following a hotel fire and earlier safety drives.
- Where
- Shopping malls across Kolkata, including South City Mall, Pataka House on Park Street and Acropolis Mall.
- Why
- The inspections followed a deadly hotel fire and reports of fire-safety, licensing and food-safety violations.
- Inspections
- Kolkata Police and Fire Department officials visited several shopping malls.
- Reported coverage
- The audit reportedly includes 29 small, medium and large shopping malls.
- Fire checks
- Officials examined fire-safety systems, documents, temporary emergency stairs and exit routes.
- Deadly incident
- A fire at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street killed nine people.
- Hotel and guest-house licenses
- West Bengal cancelled 919 licenses in and around Kolkata.
- Restaurant licenses
- About 40 restaurants and food shops lost licenses for failing food-safety standards.
- Reported food violations
- Inspectors reportedly found rotten or fungus-affected food, arachnids and rat nests in storage areas, and evidence of paint mixing with biryani.