7 Dead, Several Injured After Fire Breaks Out at Hotel Near Tarapith Temple in West Bengal Birbhum

Seven people were killed and several others injured after a fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, broke out at a hotel in Tarapith in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday, officials said. Police and fire brigade personnel quickly reached the hotel following the incident. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Birbhum Superintendent of Police Vidit Raj Bhundesh said there were no visible signs of smoke or flames from outside the building when emergency teams arrived. According to him, 22 people were rescued with the help of ladders, while 11 others were shifted to hospital. “Neither smoke nor flames were visible from the outside. Police and fire brigade teams arrived at the scene; 22 people were rescued using ladders, and 11 others were sent to the hospital. Seven people have lost their lives in this incident,” Bhundesh told reporters.

He said a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team would examine the site as part of the investigation. The hotel operators have also been taken into custody after police registered an FIR. Authorities are questioning them and carrying out further investigation to establish the exact cause of the fire.

BJP MLA Dhruba Saha criticised the authorities over the incident and called for a complete overhaul of the Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA). Saha alleged that the hotel lacked adequate fire-safety arrangements despite being a large structure. He questioned how such a building could operate without sufficient measures to deal with a fire emergency, saying the existing system needed an urgent review.