Kolkata, April 30 -- Minister of State for Fire and Emergency Services, Sujit Bose, alleged serious safety violations at Hotel Rituraj, located in the Barabazar area.
According to the minister, the hotel's firefighting system was non-functional and unauthorised construction was underway at the premises, reportedly without the knowledge or approval of the relevant authorities.
The allegations come in the wake of a devastating fire that broke out at the hotel on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred on Madan Mohan Burman Street in the Mechhua Bazar locality and claimed the lives of 14 individuals. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Bose stated that the majority of the victims died due to asphyxiation. He further stated that his department had not been informed about the ongoing construction work, raising questions about compliance with building and fire safety regulations. Meanwhile, local residents alleged that the hotel authority has been flouting the norms for past several years and did not even obtain the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire and Emergency Services department. Bose while talking to the media persons said: "I have heard that they were constructing a dance floor. We are not aware of it. I have asked my officers to submit a report. We will take necessary steps."
The Director General (DG) of the Fire and Emergency Services department alleged that the fire had spread due to the storage of inflammable materials inside the building.
Also the fire licence was not renewed after 2022. City Mayor Firhad Hakim also informed that a probe will be conducted to find out the cause behind the incident and if any deviation was made in the construction. He informed that a committee has been formed which would investigate the incident. The committee will comprise representatives from the KMC, Fire department and police and it will be headed by the Municipal Commissioner.
When the Mayor was asked about the allegation of illegal construction, Hakim said that if the local residents were aware about it they should have informed the appropriate authorities. Apart from the probes which will be done by the KMC and Fire department, police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for their investigation. Commissioner of Police (CP), Kolkata, Manoj Kumar Verma has informed about the formation of the SIT. Sources informed that a police team had already gone to the residence of the hotel owner identified as Akash Chawla and Atul Chawla in Howrah but they were not found. Police, however, arrested the manager of the hotel and are interrogating him.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.