Overview

• A fire broke out at a five-storey hotel in Kolkata's Mechua area on April 29, 2025, affecting the ground and first floors.
• Manoj Paswan, a hotel employee of 20 years, died after jumping from the building in panic as smoke filled corridors and rooms.
• Firefighters deployed ten fire engines and used hydraulic ladders to rescue people stranded on upper-floor balconies.
• The hotel, located in a congested wholesale market area, primarily serves traders from other states, complicating evacuation and firefighting efforts.
• Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and Police Commissioner Manoj Verma visited the site on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's directive to oversee rescue and safety measures.