Nine killed in hotel fire on Kolkata's Mirza Ghalib Street
A fire at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata in the early hours of 19 August 2026 killed nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals.
Summary
A fire broke out at a hotel in a five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street (Free School Street) in central Kolkata at around 2 a.m. on 19 August 2026, killing nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals and a child. The building, in the New Market police station area, houses several guest houses frequented by visitors from Bangladesh, and most victims died of suffocation from thick smoke. The fire came less than 48 hours after another hotel fire in Tarapith, Birbhum district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives.
Key facts
- Date and time
- 19 August 2026, about 2 a.m.
- Place
- Mirza Ghalib Street (Free School Street), central Kolkata
- Deaths
- Nine, including five Bangladeshi nationals
- Main cause of death
- Suffocation from smoke
- Context
- Less than 48 hours after a hotel fire in Tarapith, Birbhum
Practice MCQs 1 questions
On which Kolkata street did a hotel fire kill nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals, on 19 August 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Mirza Ghalib Street
The fire broke out at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street (Free School Street) in central Kolkata's New Market area.