Police officials and firefighters at the entrance of the Rituraj Hotel in Kolakata where a massive fire had broken out | Photo Credit: AFP

Three persons, including two minors, from Karur in Tamil Nadu were among the 14 people who were killed in the massive fire that broke out at a central Kolkata hotel in Mechua on Tuesday (April 29, 2025) evening.

The deceased persons from Tamil Nadu have been identified as Muthukrishnan and his children Diya and Rithan. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condoled their deaths on Wednesday (April 30, 2025), and assured that the State government would stand by the bereaved family.

While one person died after jumping from the hotel building trying to escape the fire in a state of panic, 13 others died of suffocation, as the congested lanes of the locality proved a challenge for rescue operations.

The six-storeyed Rituraj Hotel, located in the Burrabazxar area of Kolkata, had 88 people in 42 rooms and about 60 staff present on the premises, according to the Kolkata police.

Published – April 30, 2025 12:42 pm IST