Overview

• A fire broke out at 1 am on April 21, 2025, in a cloth godown on Pathuriaghata Street, North Kolkata, but was reported to the fire brigade only at 3:30 am.
• Two local priests, who lived near the terrace, were found unconscious near a locked terrace door and were later declared dead from suspected smoke asphyxiation.
• Firefighters had to break multiple locks to access the building and rescue three other trapped individuals, who sustained injuries.
• The building, previously a dharmashala, had been informally converted into a commercial property with shops and storage, bypassing fire safety standards.
• Authorities have launched an investigation into the fire's cause, the delayed emergency alert, and compliance with safety regulations in the building's conversion.