Kolkata hotel fire deaths high as emergency services late: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

Kolkata: Alleging that emergency services responded late in reacting to the devastating fire in a central Kolkata hotel that claimed 14 lives, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, on Thursday, said that the number of deaths would not have been so high if rescue and relief operations were swift.

Stating that the hotel is quite near the local Jorasanko police station, Adhikari alleged that the fire brigade responded late in coming to the spot.

"The number of deaths would not have been so high if the rescue and relief work was done swiftly," Adhikari told reporters after visiting the spot at Mechuapatty in Burrabazar where a devastating blaze on Tuesday night claimed 14 lives.

"Since the whole government is in Digha, the boarders, who are from other states, and other affected people of the hotel were not provided necessary emergency services like instituting a helpline," he claimed.

He was alluding to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to Digha in Purba Medinipur district to inaugurate a Jagannath temple on Wednesday.

Adhikari claimed that the BJP leaders, including councillor Sajal Ghosh and Vijay Ojha, provided assistance to the victims' relatives.

He also claimed that the chief minister reacted to the incident publicly only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolence to the bereaved families and announced compensation to the kin of the deceased and the injured persons.

Banerjee had said in her X handle that she monitored the "rescue and firefight operations throughout the night." The BJP leader claimed that despite several major incidents of fire, including the one in AMRI hospital in December 2011 that claimed more than 90 lives, congested areas in the city have been turned into tinderboxes by way of illegal constructions and the government and municipal bodies have done little to control these.

He wondered that if such a calamity could happen in Kolkata, what would be the situation if a similar fire incident occurs in the district towns.

Adhikari claimed that the hotel did not have an emergency fire exit and fire safety clearance, but was allowed to continue the business with impunity.