Daijiworld Media Network - Birbhum

Birbhum, Aug 17: At least seven people were killed and several others critically injured after a fire broke out at a hotel in West Bengal's Birbhum district early Monday, police said.

Many of the guests were pilgrims who had travelled to the temple town of Tarapith to offer prayers on the last Monday of the holy month of Shravan. The famous Kali temple in Tarapith also has a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The fire broke out around 4.30 am on the ground floor of the four-storey hotel when most of the guests were asleep. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control.

The injured were shifted to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital. Officials said some suffered burn injuries, while others fell ill due to asphyxiation.

Hospital sources initially reported that five people had died in the incident, but police later revised the death toll to seven.

"The death toll is seven now," a senior police official said.

Hotel officials claimed the fire was caused by a short circuit, saying it began near the reception after an electrical component of the power supply system caught fire. However, the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be established.

The fire reportedly spread rapidly through decorative and fibre materials inside the hotel, while thick smoke engulfed the upper floors and trapped several guests in their rooms.

A woman from Kolkata who managed to escape recalled the panic inside the hotel.

"Suddenly, the entire hotel was engulfed in smoke. We could not breathe, and it was hard to find an escape route," she said.

Another guest, Tapanjyoti Mondal, said he was trapped in his room with his wife and two children for nearly 45 minutes.

"We could not come out of the door because of the blaze. Since the room had no window, they escaped through an opening near the bathroom ceiling," he said.

Mondal's mother was found unconscious, while his sister suffered injuries in the incident.

Police and fire officials are continuing investigations to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.