'We came from the jaws of death': Bangladeshis recount horror of Kolkata hotel fire
Smoke-filled corridors and poor visibility forced guests to find their own way out as the blaze spread through the building.
"We came from the jaws of death." That was how Bangladeshi visitor Mohammad Nazmul Sarkar described his escape from a fire that broke out at a hotel in central Kolkata early today (19 August), forcing guests to find their way out through smoke and darkness.
The fire broke out around 2am at Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street, where several hotels operate in the same building. The area is popular with Bangladeshi visitors, many of whom travel to Kolkata for medical treatment.
Mohammad Asafoul Jamal, a resident of Gazipur, was staying on the fourth floor with his brother when screams outside woke them. When they opened their door, thick smoke had already filled the corridor.
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Unable to use the staircase, the brothers went to the rooftop with around 20-25 other people and waited near a water tank for firefighters.
"We did not know from which direction the fire could come," Jamal said.
Nazmul, who had travelled to Kolkata for cardiac treatment, said the smoke made it difficult to breathe and see.
"At one point, I thought I would die," he said.
With the staircase almost completely filled with smoke, Nazmul used his mobile phone flashlight to find his way towards the upper floor.
Another Bangladeshi visitor, Kawsar Hossain, was staying on the first floor with his family, including his child. Hotel workers alerted them to the fire, and they left the room. Kawsar later returned briefly after realising that their passports had been left behind.
The survivors' accounts have raised questions about the building's fire-safety arrangements. Several hotels and guest houses reportedly operate from the building and share a common staircase.
Guests alleged that the access routes were narrow and that adequate fire alarms and safety equipment were not available.
The West Bengal government of India has ordered a probe into the fire and a fire-safety audit of hotels and guest houses across the state.
