Kolkata, Aug 19: Kolkata Police, on Wednesday, announced the formation of a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the fire incident at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata, which claimed nine lives, including two women and a child.

Informing the media persons, Joint Commissioner (Crime) of Kolkata Police Kunal Agarwal said the SIT will be headed by a Deputy Commissioner-rank officer, who is currently attached to the detective department of the city police.

Already, the local New Market Police station, under whose jurisdiction the said hotel building comes, has registered a suo motu case in the matter. A separate complaint had also been launched in the matter by the state fire services department.

The police, however, have not yet disclosed the identity of the nine persons killed in the fire incident.

Mirza Ghalib Street area has several cheap hotels, accommodating people coming as tourists from other states and even other countries. Since a major section of those staying in these hotels are from neighbouring Bangladesh coming to Kolkata for medical tourism, there is a possibility that Bangladeshis may be among those nine persons who have been killed in the fire.

State Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul, who visited the spot of the fire, blamed the previous Trinamool Congress regime and the private power generation-cum-distribution entity, CESC Limited, for the mishap.

“How could the fire services department give permission to run the hotel without a minimum fire safety arrangement in place? How could CESC Limited give electricity connection? What were the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Authorities doing? All of them should be accounted for,” said Paul.

She also questioned how multiple hotels and guest houses were operating from a single building. “Many rooms were fitted with AC machines? How could CESC Limited permit that? How could the previous Trinamool Congress-run board in KMC grant them the trade license? All these factors will be looked into,” said Paul.

Meanwhile, the owner of the building as well as the owners of the hotels and guest houses run from that building have remained incommunicado since the fire broke out early this morning.

The building caretakers and the staff of the hotels and guest houses there have claimed that the respective owners have either switched off their mobiles or were not answering their calls since this morning.

Initial findings by the police and the West Bengal Fire Services Department have revealed that the nine people, including two women and a child, killed in the fire incident at the hotel this morning died of suffocation rather than burn injuries

Patna: A tragic incident occurred at Ranisarai Ganga Ghat in Patna’s Bakhtiyarpur block on Monday when seven girls from the same family got caught in the strong current while bathing in the Ganga Rive Three were rescued by locals, while four others went missing.

The incident occurred at around 7:30 a.m. According to local residents, the girls, who were cousins, had gone to the ghat to bathe. One of them reportedly moved into deeper water and began struggling. When the others attempted to help her, they too were caught in the strong current. People present at the ghat immediately launched a rescue effort. Several locals entered the river and managed to bring three girls to safety.

However, the remaining four were swept into deeper water and could not initially be located.

The missing girls have been identified as Aarti Kumari (21) and Nandani Kumari (16), daughters of Awadhesh Chandravanshi; Radhika Kumari (15), daughter of Kamlesh Chandravanshi; and Babli Kumari (6), daughter of Mantu Chandravanshi.

After being informed about the incident, police and administrative officials reached the spot.

An SDRF team was subsequently deployed to conduct a search operation in the river.

During the search, two bodies were recovered, while efforts to locate the remaining two girls are continuing.

The strong current and depth of the river are making the search operation difficult, with SDRF personnel searching different sections of the river.

As news of the incident spread, family members and villagers gathered at the ghat and demanded immediate deployment of an SDRF team.

Amid frustration over the reported delay in launching the search, villagers briefly blocked the road for around 20 minutes, disrupting traffic.

The blockade was later lifted after the rescue operation began.

A large number of relatives remain at the riverbank, anxiously waiting for updates as the SDRF continues its search.

The incident, involving several children and young women from the same family, has left the entire area deeply shaken.

The bodies have been sent to the Barh Subdivisional Hospital for the post-mortem.

Guwahati, Aug 12: The Assam government is working in “mission mode” to repair and strengthen flood-damaged embankments across the state, with four of five breach points in Jorhat district already restored, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.

Taking to X, CM Sarma said the state administration was working on a priority basis under the #AssamFloodResponse initiative to repair and strengthen embankments and prevent further damage in vulnerable areas.

“In Jorhat, work at 4 of the 5 breach points is already complete, with the remaining work at Shalmara nearing completion,” the Chief Minister said.

The progress comes as the state continues to strengthen its flood-control infrastructure following damage caused to embankments at several locations. Embankments play a crucial role in protecting Assam’s flood-prone settlements and agricultural areas from rising water levels.

Breaches in these structures can lead to rapid inundation of villages, farmland and infrastructure, making timely restoration critical.

The government has been directing officials and field agencies to accelerate repair works at vulnerable locations and reinforce embankments to improve their resilience against future flooding.

The Jorhat works are among the ongoing measures being undertaken as part of the state’s wider flood-response efforts. The completion of four breach points is expected to strengthen protection in the affected areas, while work at Shalmara is being expedited for early completion.

Assam remains particularly vulnerable to annual floods because of its extensive river network, including the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

Flooding frequently affects habitation, agriculture, roads and other public infrastructure across several districts.

The state government has also been focusing on preventive measures, including strengthening embankments at vulnerable stretches and improving preparedness before subsequent waves of flooding.

CM Sarma’s update highlights the administration’s emphasis on rapid restoration of damaged flood-control infrastructure while simultaneously working to strengthen embankments against future threats.

The Chief Minister said the government would continue working in mission mode, underscoring the priority being accorded to flood management and protection of vulnerable communities.