A massive fire at a private hotel in the congested Mechuapatti area of Burrabazar in central Kolkata claimed the lives of 14 people, including a woman and two children, police said on Wednesday.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma and state Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose had initially stated that 15 people were killed in the fire that broke out on Tuesday evening at the low-cost Rituraj Hotel on Tuesday evening.
Later, Verma revised the toll to 14, stating that earlier there was confusion over the number of deaths.
“The initial reports mentioned 15 casualties. There was some confusion. But after verification, the number has been corrected to 14. That is the confirmed figure we have at the moment,” Verma told reporters here.
Thirteen others sustained injuries in the blaze, according to a senior police officer.
Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.