Overview
- A blaze broke out in the ground-floor reception of Hotel Bideshini in Tarapith early Monday and police confirmed seven people died while several others were injured.
- Officials say victims mostly died of asphyxiation after dense, toxic smoke from burning false ceilings, fiberglass and decorative materials rose rapidly through the four- to five-storey building.
- Police and firefighters rescued dozens from upper floors and took the injured to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital, where some patients remain in critical condition.
- Authorities have registered an FIR, taken the hotel owner and operators into custody, and called a Forensic Science Laboratory team after a preliminary fire-department assessment blamed an electrical short circuit.
- The town was unusually crowded for the last Monday of Shravan, and survivors and officials allege the hotel lacked basic fire-detection and clear escape routes, prompting calls for a review of local safety oversight and building checks.