Kolkata, August 19: An official from the fire department has been suspended following a tragic fire incident at the ‘Bideshini’ hotel in Tarapith, Birbhum district, which resulted in the deaths of nine people.
Fire Station Officer Abhay Chaudhary had granted clearance to the hotel’s fire fighting system after conducting an inspection. In response to this incident, the Birbhum district administration held a meeting with hotel owners in Bolpur on Wednesday to discuss measures to prevent future occurrences.
According to an official, when Abhay Chaudhary was serving as the fire station officer in Tarapith, he conducted a fire audit at a hotel located just a short distance from the police station. Following the fire incident on Monday, concerns were raised regarding the fire fighting system at that hotel, leading to his suspension.
The meeting included Bolpur’s Additional Superintendent of Police Manavendra Das, Inspector-in-Charge Sudipto Mukherjee, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Arpit R. Parekh, and officials from the fire department.
Officials have instructed all hotels in Bolpur to strictly adhere to fire safety regulations. Hotel owners must ensure that necessary documentation, fire extinguishing systems, and essential fire safety equipment are in place. Inspections of hotels will be conducted in the coming days, and any negligence or deficiencies found in safety systems will result in legal action against the respective hotel owners or officials.
On Tuesday, the Birbhum district administration ordered the indefinite closure of 15 hotels located near the famous Tara Temple in Tarapith. This decision came after the devastating fire at the ‘Bideshini’ hotel on Monday.
The notice was issued immediately after the police arrested the hotel’s main owner, Probir Paul. His son and co-owner, Kalyan Paul, was also arrested on the same day.
As of Monday evening, reports confirmed the deaths of eight individuals, including five members of a family from Meghalaya who had come to Tarapith to worship at the renowned Tara Temple. Later that night, Rajesh Sharma from Dhupguri in North Bengal succumbed to his injuries at a local government medical college, bringing the total death toll to nine.
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