Eight people died in a fire at a hotel in West Bengal's Birbhum district early on Monday
TARAPITH — Eight people died in a fire at a hotel in West Bengal's Birbhum district early on Monday, following which police detained one person for alleged lapses in the maintenance of the establishment's fire-fighting system, officials said.
Of the 43 people who were in the hotel in the temple town of Tarapith when the fire broke out, one was undergoing treatment at a hospital, while 34 had been discharged after preliminary examination, they said.
Legend has it that the 13th-century Tarapith temple, where Goddess Tara is worshipped, is one of the 51 Shakti Piths of India.
The fire erupted around 4.30 am on the ground floor of the four-storey hotel, when most of the guests were asleep. Many of them were devotees who had come to Tarapith to offer prayers on the last Monday of the holy month of Shravan.
Several guests were trapped on the upper floors as thick smoke spread through the building. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control.
The injured were taken to the Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital. Some suffered burn injuries, while others fell ill due to asphyxiation, officials said.
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Hotel officials had claimed that the fire was caused by a short circuit. According to them, the blaze started near the reception after an electrical component of the power supply system caught fire. The exact cause, however, is yet to be established.
The fire spread rapidly through decorative and fibre materials inside the hotel, with smoke billowing to the upper floors and trapping several guests in their rooms.
Police detained one person in connection with alleged lapses in maintaining the hotel's fire-fighting system, officials said.
The Birbhum district administration has announced a special audit of electrical installations and fire-fighting arrangements in hotels, lodges and other establishments in Tarapith following the incident and ahead of the Kaushiki Amavasya festival, which is expected to draw a large number of people.
The administration said it was imperative to ensure that all hotels, lodges, guest houses, homestays and other establishments accommodating pilgrims and visitors had adequate and safe electrical installations and effective fire prevention and fire-fighting arrangements.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed grief over the deaths and said the guests had come to the temple town to offer prayers on the last Monday of Shravan.
"Deeply pained by the extremely tragic incident involving the pilgrims who lost their lives in a fire at a hotel in Tarapith; Birbhum district," Adhikari said in a post on X, adding that words could not adequately express his grief for the families who had lost their loved ones.
He said the police administration acted swiftly and rescued a substantial number of people, but "despite all efforts, the tragic loss of 8 lives could not be avoided".
Adhikari said the Superintendent of Police, District Magistrate, local MLA Dhruba Saha and Minister of State for Fire Department Koushik Chowdhury were present at the site, supervising the operations.
They were also coordinating with the Government of Meghalaya and the local administration of Alipurduar to ensure that the families of the affected and deceased received all necessary support, he said.
"The State Government has taken strict measures to find out the root cause of this tragedy," Adhikari said, assuring people that "those responsible will not be spared and they will be strictly punished as per law".
He also said appropriate compensation for the victims would be announced in due time.
Former West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee also expressed grief over the incident.
"I am deeply shocked by the sudden and tragic fire at Tarapith. I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy and for strength for those who have been left devastated by the loss of their loved ones. I also pray for the speedy and complete recovery of those undergoing treatment," she said on X.
A woman from Kolkata, who escaped the blaze, recalled the panic inside the hotel.
"Suddenly, the entire hotel was engulfed in smoke. We could not breathe, and it was hard to find an escape route," she said.
Another guest, Tapanjyoti Mondal, said he was trapped in his room with his wife and two children for nearly 45 minutes.
"We could not come out of the door because of the blaze. Since the room had no window, they escaped through an opening near the bathroom ceiling," he said.
Mondal's mother was unconscious while his sister suffered injuries in the incident.