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.

Alimuzzaman Saju, 45, was the son of late Yunus Sardar of Bareya village in Tarali Union, Kaliganj upazila. He was a shrimp-farm businessman.

Saju's relative, Mokhlesur Rahman Paltu, said Saju had travelled to India five or six days ago to consult a doctor for back pain and was scheduled to return home on Wednesday.

However, the family received news around 10pm that he had died in the hotel fire.

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.

The other victim was a woman named Rebati Sarker. Details about her are yet to be confirmed.

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."