Latest news with #RiturajHotel
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Time of India
Blocked exits, packed lanes, flammable stocks, wiring mess: No change in Burrabazar in a week after hotel fire
Kolkata: A week has passed since a devastating fire at Rituraj Hotel in Mechhua claimed 14 lives, but fire safety violations continue as usual in the crammed and encroached lanes, markets, and other establishments around the hotel. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite a city-wide crackdown on rooftop eateries and bars following the April 29 blaze, little has changed at the epicentre of the tragedy. When TOI visited several buildings around Rituraj Hotel, it found locked terraces, obstructed exits, flammable storage in residential buildings, and illegal commercial activity thriving in residential buildings in the absence of any crackdown by the administration. Ironically, the same fire that prompted raids and closures of rooftop bars across the city seems to have made no impact in the area. Locals alleged that the administration turns a blind eye towards violations. "Isn't this the place that should have seen the strictest enforcement? But there have hardly been any checks, and violations continue as usual," said Brijesh Agarwal, a resident and a trader in Burrabazar. Even as charred debris lie in front of Rituraj Hotel, the surrounding buildings continue with business as usual. At 8 Ram Lochan Mullick Street, just behind the hotel, the staircases leading to the terrace were locked. This is despite the fact that, during the April 29 blaze, several hotel guests and staff were rescued only because they had access to the terrace. According to the National Building Code, all buildings must have free and accessible escape routes — a regulation openly flouted in Burrabazar. At 4B Madan Mohan Burman Street, several small-scale manufacturing units operate amidst several residences. The units store inflammable materialsand operate heavy machines. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Electrical wiring needs immediate overhaul. At 14 Madan Mohan Burman Street, traders turned the ground floor and shared passages of residential buildings into impromptu godowns. Cartons of fruits and packaging materials are stacked in escape routes. "This is Burrabazar — every year, some fire breaks out and people die, but nothing really changes," said Rafiq Sheikh, a long-time resident of the area, adding "there is no vigilance, no penalties, and no fear of the law." "We do inspections at regular intervals and request the traders to follow fire safety norms, but there is no compliance," said a fire department official added, requesting anonymity.
Business Upturn
01-05-2025
- Business Upturn
Kolkata crackdown: Six Park Street restaurants shut after Mamata Banerjee terms Magma House a ‘tinderbox'
Six well-known restaurants inside Magma House on Park Street were shut down following a surprise inspection by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who cited serious fire safety lapses and described the building as a 'tinderbox.' According to a report by TaazaTV, the Chief Minister's unannounced visit came just two days after a fire at Rituraj Hotel in Burrabazar claimed 15 lives, prompting renewed scrutiny of fire safety in commercial buildings across Kolkata. At 24 Park Street, Banerjee pointed out the building's narrow staircases, limited exits, and use of LPG cylinders in multiple restaurants as serious hazards. Following her inspection, Kolkata Police confiscated gas cylinders, forcing six establishments to halt operations: LMNOQ, Barbeque Nation, Black Cat, Moti Mahal, Destination 16, and one additional restaurant. Banerjee stated that she has instructed the Kolkata Police Commissioner, the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and the State Fire Minister to conduct an urgent investigation. 'Public safety cannot be compromised,' she said during the visit. The crackdown at Magma House reflects growing administrative pressure to tighten enforcement after the Burrabazar tragedy, with more inspections expected across restaurants and hotels in high-footfall areas of the city. News desk at
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Indian Express
Kolkata Hotel Fire: Owner, manager held for culpable homicide after 14 killed
The owner of Rituraj Hotel, Akash Chawla, and its Manager Gaurav Kapoor were arrested by the Kolkata Police early on Thursday morning. According to police sources, both the accused will be produced in the Bankshall court and the police will pray for their custody as they would like to question them. On April 29, a massive fire broke out at the first floor of the Rituraj Hotel in the Barabazar area, which claimed 14 lives. According to police sources, a suo moto case had been filed by the Jorasanko Police station and another case had been filed by the Fire department. The case has been filed under section 105 (mandates that search and seizure proceedings, including the preparation of the seized property list and its signing by witnesses, be recorded through audio-video electronic means, preferably a mobile phone), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 124 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc), 125 (endangering life or personal safety), and 287 (negligent conduct related to fire or combustible matters) of the BNS along with sections of the WBFS Act. Out of the 14 deceased, 12 have been identified so far. According to the police, the postmortem of the bodies showed that the deaths were due to effects of asphyxia due to inhalation of carbon soot. Thermal burn injuries on the bodies have also been detected, which were found to be antemortem. Residents had alleged that there were a lot of illegal construction in the building and the fire allegedly started from the combustible materials that were kept for the building of a dance bar on the first floor. The Fire department and residents had claimed that there were no fire escape exits and there was no opening from which the smoke could go out, which led to the building to turn into a gas chamber.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Kolkata fire deaths: Amid allegations of safety lapses, Rituraj Hotel's owner arrested
The Kolkata police has arrested the owner and the manager of Rituraj Hotel in connection with a fire that killed 14 people on Tuesday. The action was taken after a suo motu case was registered at the Jorasanko police station under various sections of the BNS, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and the West Bengal Fire Services Act, against them. The owner and the manager have been identified as Akash Chawla and Gourav Kapoor. The fire engulfed the budget hotel in the congested Burrabazar area in central Kolkata and claimed 14 lives. Most of those who died could not escape the hotel due to thick plumes of smoke. Many had reportedly jumped from upper floors to save themselves. Among the dead were 11 men, one woman and two children, including a 3-year-old. The deceased were natives of Bihar, Odisha, UP, Tamil Nadu, and Jharkhand. The authorities were trying to ascertain what triggered the blaze. However, a senior fire official told PTI that the hotel was found to violate several safety regulations. Also read: Staffer jumps off Kolkata hotel in panic after fire breaks out, dies: Official "The only staircase was blocked, and ventilation points were sealed due to an under-construction, illegal dance bar on the same floor, which severely hampered evacuation efforts," a senior fire official said. Bengal minister Sujit Bose said the hotel's fire alarms and sprinklers didn't work. 'This is a clear case of negligence. The hotel had no active fire safety systems in place,' he said. Director General of Fire Services Ranvir Kumar revealed that the hotel's fire safety clearance had expired in 2022. 'An FIR has been filed, and the hotel owners are absconding,' he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condoled the deaths. "Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire mishap in Kolkata. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given ₹50,000," the PMO said on X. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she monitored the rescue operation throughout the night. She said an investigation had been ordered. With inputs from PTI, ANI
News18
01-05-2025
- News18
Kolkata Hotel Fire: Owner, Manager Arrested After Blaze Kills 14
Last Updated: A suo-moto case has been filed at the Jorasanko police station under various sections of the BNS, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The owner and the manager of the central Kolkata hotel, where a devastating fire killed 14 people, were arrested on Thursday, police said. Akash Chawla, the owner of Rituraj Hotel, and manager Gaurav Kapoor were taken into custody in the morning, they said. A suo motu case was registered at the Jorasanko police station under various sections of the BNS, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and the West Bengal Fire Services Act against them, they added. Police said 12 of the 14 bodies recovered from the hotel were identified and their post-mortem examinations completed. These bodies have been handed over to their families, they said, adding that efforts were underway to ascertain the identities of the remaining two bodies. There were 88 guests in 42 rooms of the six-storey budget hotel, located in Mechhua in the congested Burrabazar area, when the fire broke out at 8.10 pm on Tuesday. First Published:
