2 weeks ago
Bangladeshi Family Among Nine Killed in Kolkata Hotel Fire
A Bangladeshi family travelled to India because the mother needed medical treatment.
The family included journalist Debashis Dutta, his wife Afsana, their young son and Afsana’s father.
They went to Bengaluru and later stayed at a hotel in Kolkata.
A fire started at the hotel late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
All four family members died.
Nine people died in total, including five people from Bangladesh.
The family’s eight-year-old daughter stayed in Bangladesh.
Officials were identifying the victims and helping injured Bangladeshi nationals.
Bangladeshi journalist Debashis Dutta, his wife, son and father-in-law died in the fire.
The blaze broke out late Tuesday night or early Wednesday at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata.
The family arrived in India on August 3 and had travelled to Bengaluru for Afsana Shirmin’s medical treatment.
Police said Dutta, his wife and son returned from Bengaluru and checked into the Kolkata hotel.
Nine people were killed overall, including five Bangladeshi nationals; reports differ on the child’s age and some adults’ ages.
- Who
- Bangladeshi journalist Debashis Dutta, Afsana Shirmin, their son and Afsana’s father Md Akram Ali were among the dead; nine people died overall.
- What
- A hotel fire killed four members of a Bangladeshi family and five other people.
- Where
- Shikha Inn, 15G Mirza Ghalib Street, central Kolkata, India.
- When
- The fire broke out late Tuesday night or early Wednesday; the family arrived in India on August 3.
- Why
- The family had travelled to India for Afsana Shirmin’s medical treatment; the cause of death and fire was not yet confirmed in the reports.
Key facts
- Hotel
- Shikha Inn at 15G Mirza Ghalib Street
- Overall death toll
- Nine people were killed
- Bangladeshi casualties
- Five Bangladeshi nationals were reported killed
- Family members killed
- Debashis Dutta, Afsana Shirmin, their son and Md Akram Ali
- Travel route
- The family arrived in India on August 3, travelled to Bengaluru, then returned to Kolkata
- Other identified victims
- Hotel worker Sandeep Paswan and guest Yog Narayan Aggarwal were also identified among the dead
- Reported discrepancies
- Reports describe the son as either two years and eight months or four years old, and give differing ages for Dutta and Afsana
Quotes
Bangladesh official
Official from the Bangladesh deputy high commission
“The matter is with the Indian authorities. They are identifying the dead and have sent the bodies for post-mortem examinations. Once the necessary documents are ready, we will make arrangements to hand over the bodies to the families in Bangladesh,”
telegraphindia.com
“The mother and the child were possibly undergoing treatment in Bangalore. The four were accompanied by another family member, who left Calcutta for Bangladesh on Wednesday. The rest stayed back to do some shopping in the city,”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
Trip for life ends in death: Kolkata hotel fire claims three generations of a family
Family trip ends in tragedy as Bangladeshi journalist, wife, son die in Kolkata hotel fire
Family trip ends in tragedy as Bangladeshi scribe, wife, son die in Kolkata hotel fire
Kolkata Hotel Fire: Bangladeshi Journalist, Wife, 3-Year-Old Child & Grandfather Among Four Family Members Killed
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