Tarapith hotel fire: Station Officer suspended over report for fire certificate

Tarapith (West Bengal) [India], August 20 : The Fire Department has suspended Station Officer Abhay Chowdhury, who had issued the report based on which the hotel's Fire Safety Certificate was granted in Tarapith, sources said. The fire incident at the hotel left at least eight people dead.
Several others were injured, allegedly due to a short circuit, at a hotel in Tarapith in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Monday.
Superintendent of Police Birbhum, Vidit Raj Bhundesh, said on Monday that neither smoke nor flames were visible from the outside. "Neither smoke nor flames were visible from the outside. Police and fire brigade teams arrived at the scene; 22 people were rescued using ladders, and 11 others were sent to the hospital," he told reporters.
Police have registered an FIR in connection with the incident and taken the hotel operators into custody. They are being questioned as part of the investigation.
According to an official, 28 people were rescued and survived the incident, while seven others are undergoing treatment. The injured are from Shib Bari Baganara, South Garo Hills and Meghalaya.
Eight people rescued from the hotel were later declared dead. Five of the deceased were from Meghalaya, while three were from Alipurduar. The deceased from Meghalaya have been identified as Rajendra Nath, Asha Nath, Buran Madak, 10-year-old Shivraj Madak and eight-year-old Aushnath Madak. Those from Alipurduar have been identified as Kamal Roy, Amit Pal and Subir Saha.
The incident has led to scrutiny of the fire safety certification process at the hotel. The suspension of the Station Officer who issued the report is among the actions taken as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the blaze.