Night of smoke, darkness, desperate escape: Survivors recount Kolkata hotel fire ordeal
Night of Smoke, Darkness, and Desperate Escape: Kolkata Hotel Fire
How a Quiet Evening Became a Nightmare
Bharatmorningnews.com – What began as an ordinary evening of meals and rest inside a Kolkata hotel became a night of smoke, darkness, and desperate flight for dozens of guests trapped on Mirza Ghalib Street in the New Market district. Sleep was broken not by a fire alarm but by the sound of human voices screaming, by thick black smoke curling under doorframes, and by the horrifying realization that familiar hallways had sealed into a corridor of death within minutes.
Survivors described waking to total disorientation. Visibility dropped to near zero almost instantly. The smoke was so dense that guests could not tell which direction led to an exit, and the heat pressed against skin like a physical wall. Several people pushed their way upward toward the rooftop terrace, lungs burning, guided by nothing but instinct and the faint glow of a mobile phone screen. Others fumbled through pitch-black passages, hands outstretched, following the thin beam of a flashlight while choking on acrid fumes that stung eyes and throat alike.
Among the most harrowing accounts was that of a couple who managed to squeeze themselves out through a window on an upper floor. They clung to a narrow stone cornice above the street for close to thirty minutes, suspended in darkness, until rescue crews finally reached them. For those thirty minutes, the only sounds were the crackle of flames below and their own ragged breathing. The episode encapsulated the broader night of smoke, darkness, and desperate improvisation that defined every survivor's experience.
Foreign Nationals Among the Dead and the Saved
A significant number of those caught inside the burning property were nationals of Bangladesh who had travelled to Kolkata for commercial dealings, medical procedures, or short leisure trips. Officials confirmed that five Bangladeshis were among the nine people killed in the blaze. Families in Dhaka and other cities received the news in the small hours, many still piecing together the exact circumstances until rescue teams completed their work and official statements were issued.
In the aftermath, local authorities launched an investigation into the hotel's fire-safety compliance, including the condition of its extinguishers, the state of its emergency exits, and whether evacuation signage had been maintained. Neighbours in the New Market area described hearing the first screams before any siren sounded, undersc
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