Rules murdered: Vanished staircase, walled-up windows, dud smoke alarms and sprinklers

Kolkata: A devastating fire at Rituraj Hotel on Madan Mohan Burman Street, adjoining Mechhua in central Kolkata, revealed how the facility functioned with complete disregard for safety regulations, leading to multiple fatalities and widespread outrage.
According to Ranvir Kumar, DG (fire), the sprinklers and firefighting system, though structurally in place, did not operate at all. "The last NOC from the fire department issued to the hotel was in 2022. Ever since, no NOC has been taken. The fineprint of our inspection is that there was no operative system to detect fire. There was no functional alarm system, the sprinklers never worked. In other words, the firefighting system was defunct," said Kumar, adding this prompted them to immediately register an FIR at the Jorasanko police station. Police have started an investigation.

KMC officials and fire service officers said the hotel operated in blatant violation of safety and building norms. "There was no water pressure in the firefighting sprinkler system. The extinguishers were empty or had expired. The emergency exit was blocked with construction materials, thwarting people's chance of escape," said a senior fire officer. An official said the staircase vanished once it merged with the lift, and several windows were walled up, in what bizarrely was claimed to make the central AC system work. The fire broke out on the first floor — a space that was undergoing conversion into a crooner's bar — and quickly spread due to poor ventilation and locked windows. The kitchen areas were switched. Fire brigade officers said several of the windows were sealed with bricks to increase floor space. "Smoke couldn't escape through the windows, and even residents could not go out, turning the place into a death trap. Many, including children, suffocated to death," a fireman said.
A KMC buildings department official confirmed the rooftop had four to five illegally constructed rooms. Inside the hotel, several rooms were expanded without approved blueprints. Despite being in the red zone for non-compliance, the hotel operated unchecked.
Initially, fire personnel and police observed there was a pipeline for the firefighting system running from outside the hotel to inside. But there was no connection between the pipeline and the necessary reservoir, making the firefighting system ineffective.
Despite repeated objections from locals, the construction to convert the second-floor restaurant into a bar began four months ago. "It's unbelievable how the hotel procured a liquor licence despite being located right next to a school," said Md Imtiaz, a local trader. Residents also alleged illegal extensions were being carried out for years with impunity. "All this happened when the hotel is located a stone's throw from the KMC borough office, the CR Avenue fire station and the Jorasanko police station," said a resident, raising questions about oversight.
After a series of fires in the area in 2018–2019, the hotel was forced to install fire safety equipment but employees said they never received any training. "We didn't know how they work. The owners must have thought it was necessary, so they installed them," said an employee.