Fire Safety Drive: 11 Hotels and Guest Houses Ordered to Shut, 17 Served Show-Cause Notices

MP, August 22, 2026, Kolkata: In a major development in the ongoing fire safety audit by a special team comprising officials from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department, several hotels and guest houses have been ordered to shut down completely or partially.

According to sources, the joint team inspected 11 hotels and guest houses on Friday morning and served closure notices.

Some establishments have been ordered to completely suspend operations, while others have been directed to partially shut down.

The hotels and guest houses have been given 24 hours to evacuate their guests.

Sources said major deficiencies in fire safety measures and evacuation plans were found during the inspections.

The establishments ordered to shut down include Hotel Off Beat, Hotel VIP Intercontinental, Hotel Al Sanna Pvt. Ltd, D.K. International Pvt. Ltd, Jamuna Banquet, Center Point Guest House and Hotel 43.

Meanwhile, fresh show-cause notices have been issued to 17 more hotels and guest houses in different locations in and around the New Market area.

This takes the total number of flagged commercial properties to 30 establishments within 48 hours.

The stringent drive follows Tuesday’s devastating fire at Hotel Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street, which claimed nine lives and exposed severe safety lapses at hotels and guest houses in the area.

According to sources, the 17 newly flagged properties are located across Mirza Ghalib Street, Marquis Street and Ripon Street.

These establishments have also been given 24 hours to file their replies.

If the responses are found unsatisfactory, the administration may order their closure as well.