Bengal hotel fire: 7 charred to death in Birbhum, several critically injured

TARAPITH: At least seven guests were killed and several others critically injured after a massive fire broke out at a private hotel in Tarapith in West Bengal's Birbhum district early Monday morning. The fire broke out around 4.30am on the ground floor of Hotel Bideshinii, a G+4 building located beside a pond and a short distance from Tarapith police station. Most of the guests were asleep when the blaze erupted. Officials said all seven victims died of asphyxiation after toxic smoke from the burning false ceiling and fiberglass and other inflammable materials used in the ground-floor reception spread rapidly to the upper floors. Guests who woke up were reportedly disoriented and struggled to find an escape route. Firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The injured were rescued and taken to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Hotel officials said an electrical short circuit may have triggered the fire, though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed. Munmun Mondal, a guest who escaped, said, "Suddenly the entire hotel was engulfed with smoke. We couldn't breathe and couldn't find an escape route immediately." The fire exposed the lack of basic fire safety infrastructure at the hotel. According to officials, the hotel had little or no fire detection or prevention equipment. Tarapith was particularly crowded as Monday marked the last Monday of Shravan, a period that draws large numbers of devotees to the temple town. Devotees visit the Tarapith temple, where Maa Tara is worshipped, while Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Chandrachur. Priya Roy, a local BJP worker who reached the spot to help with the rescue, said, "As it was raining early in the morning, the boarders were sleeping soundly and we too initially couldn't understand what had happened inside the hotel." Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage and investigating the cause of the fire.