Bangladeshi death toll from Kolkata hotel fire rises to 7 as two more from Satkhira identified

Two more people, including a woman, who were killed in a fire at a hotel in central Kolkata early yesterday (19 August), have been identified as Bangladeshi nationals from Satkhira District, taking the number of deceased from Bangladesh to seven.

The two were Rebati Sarker and SM Alimuzzaman -- both from Satkhira's Kaliganj Upazila, according to a Kolkata Police statement issued late last night.

The deceased were Alimuzzaman Saju, 45, a businessman from Bareya village under Tarali Union. 

Saju was the son of late Yunus Sardar and the third among four brothers and two sisters.

His elder brother, Saheb Ali Sardar, said he called Saju's mobile phone on Wednesday evening (19 August) to inquire about his whereabouts.

A police officer in Kolkata answered the call and informed him that Saju had died in the fire.

The family later confirmed his identity after seeing photographs.

Saju's sister-in-law, Taniza Akhter, who had raised him from childhood, was inconsolable at the family home, saying, "I cannot accept this in any way. I raised him like my own child."

She appealed to the government to take steps to bring his body home at the earliest.

With his parents having died earlier, his death has cast a pall of grief over the village, as relatives and neighbours gather at his home to mourn his loss and recall memories of him.

Neighbour Hafizur Rahman Hafiz said Saju had performed Hajj seven or eight years ago and, upon returning, decided not to marry.

He remained unmarried thereafter and was known in the community as an honest and respectable person, according to the locals.

They said his family was affluent and well-established, owning two fish farms spanning more than 100 bighas and an import-export business, along with substantial property.

Rebati Sarker, 35, from neighbouring Tentulia village, was also among those killed in the fire. She was the wife of Bhavesh Sarker and mother of two children- a son and a daughter.

Neighbours said Rebati had travelled to India for medical treatment 11 days before the incident. Her parents-in-law had been living in India for some time.

Her husband was not at home when the news of her death reached the family.

His younger brother, Tapan Sarker, said Bhavesh works at a brick kiln and had not yet returned home.

"We learned about her death through a phone call," Tapan said.

The news has left Rebati's relatives and neighbours devastated, with people gathering at her home to offer condolences to the grieving family.

Meanwhile, police said today that the leaseholder of the hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street has been arrested and two others detained in connection with the incident. Abu Zafar, the leaseholder of Shikha Inn, was detained last night and later arrested, while two hotel staffers have also been detained.

Earlier, five Bangladeshis, including four members of a family from Kushtia, were identified among the nine victims.

The four from the same family were journalist Debashish Dutta, 39, his wife Afshana Shirmin, 27, their nearly three-year-old son Swarnashish Dutta, and Afshana's father Akram Ali, 74. The fifth deceased was identified as Babu Ahmed, 37, from Savar, Dhaka, according to Kolkata Police.

Debashish was the Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel 9. He also served as acting editor of a local newspaper named Ajker Alo.

Two other people who died in the fire were Indian nationals -- Sandip Paswan, 19, from Jharkhand and Yog Narayan Aggarwal, 68, from Siliguri, according to police.

No emergency exit, safety lapses, and more

The fire had broken out in Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street, which houses a number of hotels and guesthouses popular among Bangladeshis because of its location near the New Market, a popular shopping site for visitors.

The fire brigade received the call around 2:07am and began rescue operations a minute later. Five firefighting units were deployed, and the blaze was brought under control after several hours.

West Bengal Minister of State for Fire and Emergency Services Kaushik Chowdhury said most victims appeared to have died from asphyxia, with no burn injuries found on most bodies.

According to the guests in the hotel, Shikha Inn had only one entry and exit and no emergency exits.

"I came with my friend. It was a very dangerous situation, and I really don't know how we escaped. There was no fire alarm or firefighting system," Amirul Hossain, a guest from Tarapith in Birbhum district, told Hindustan Times.

"The building management did not comply with basic safety and construction norms. It is alleged that there were several irregularities in the functioning of the hotel," Kaushik Chowdhury told reporters.

BJP leader Santosh Pathak also added, "Most of the hotels in this area are running illegally. They don't have a firefighting mechanism. They don't follow any rules and regulations. We have told them multiple times.

"Some don't even have licenses. Inside, there are illegal constructions. Residential buildings are turned into commercial spaces overnight. The police station and fire brigade station are at a stone's throw."