Tarapith hotel fire kills eight pilgrims in West Bengal

Tarapith hotel fire West Bengal Meghalaya pilgrims Bideshini Hotel fire safety negligence

A devastating fire broke out at the Bideshini Hotel in Tarapith, West Bengal, during the early hours of Monday. The blaze, which occurred around 4:30 am, resulted in at least eight deaths and left several others injured. Many of the victims were pilgrims visiting the Tarapith Temple for the holy month of Shravan.

Among the deceased were five members of a single family from Meghalaya, including two children. The Meghalaya state government has announced an ex-gratia payment of 2 lakh rupees to the next of kin of the deceased pilgrims. Other victims included residents from the Alipurduar district of West Bengal.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit, possibly near an air-conditioning switch in the reception area. The fire spread rapidly through the building, fueled by flammable interior materials like fiberglass and false ceilings, causing thick smoke that led to many deaths by asphyxiation.

Police have arrested the hotel owner, Kalyan Paul, and his father, Prabir Kumar Pal, following allegations of negligence and failure to call the fire brigade promptly. Guests reported that a rear emergency exit was closed, trapping them inside. Authorities are conducting a forensic investigation and a special audit of fire safety measures in local hotels.

Entities

Bideshini Hotel · Bidishini Hotel · Birbhum · Conrad K. Sangma · Hotel Bideshini · Hotel Bideshinii · Kalyan Pal · Kalyan Paul · Nilesh Shrikant Gaikwar · Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital · Tarapith · Vidit Raj Bhundesh

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] The fire broke out between 4:30 AM and 5:00 AM. hindi.latestly.com · hindi.newsbytesapp.com
[● 3 SOURCES] At least seven people died in the fire. hindi.latestly.com · hindi.newsbytesapp.com
[● 16 SOURCES] Injured victims were taken to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital. news.abplive.com · www.newsbytesapp.com · www.newsx.com · hindi.latestly.com · hindi.newsbytesapp.com · +8 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The fire occurred at the Bideshini Hotel. hindi.news18.com · hindi.newsbytesapp.com · najarbandi.in · uttarbangasambad.com · navbharatlive.com · +1 more
[● 21 SOURCES] The fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. hindi.news18.com · hindi.newsbytesapp.com · www.khabarfast.com · najarbandi.in · uttarbangasambad.com · +14 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The fire occurred in a four-story private hotel. hindi.latestly.com · hindi.newsbytesapp.com · www.news18.com · news.abplive.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Most deaths were caused by asphyxiation due to smoke. hindi.latestly.com · www.newsbytesapp.com
[● 12 SOURCES] A short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire. www.newsx.com · www.newsbytesapp.com · hindi.pardaphash.com · www.khabarfast.com · najarbandi.in · +6 more
[● 16 SOURCES] At least eight people died in the hotel fire. www.newsbytesapp.com · www.newsx.com · www.khabarfast.com · najarbandi.in · uttarbangasambad.com · +9 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The fire spread through a four-storey building. news.abplive.com · hindi.latestly.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The hotel reportedly lacked sufficient fire detection or prevention equipment. www.newsbytesapp.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The fire reportedly started at an air-conditioning switch in the reception area. news.abplive.com · navbharatlive.com