Kolkata: 2 dead, 5 injured as fire erupts in multi-storey building; Govt asks police to lodge FIR

At least two persons were killed and five others suffered serious burn injuries after a massive fire broke out at a multi-storey building in Kolkata’s Tiljala area on Tuesday, May 12.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed the Kolkata Police to lodge an FIR into the incident. Further, the state government has constituted a departmental committee to conduct a detailed survey of the site and examine all relevant documents related with the incident.

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Among those included in the committee are ACS, MSME Department; ACS, Fire and Emergency Services Department; Kolkata Commissioner of Police; and Municipal Commissioner, Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

“The Committee shall conduct a detailed inquiry/survey and submit a report positively by 11 a.m. on May 13, 2026,” read the order from the Office of the Chief Secretary.

According to reports, the fire erupted on the first floor of the building that was utilised as a leather godown around 1.45 p.m. The flames spread within moments, engulfing the area in thick black smoke.

“Five persons, who were trapped in the building, entered a bathroom to escape the flames, but dense smoke created a suffocating atmosphere inside,” PTI quoted a fire department official as saying.