Hotel fire in Tarapith, West Bengal, kills nine pilgrims
A pre-dawn fire at a hotel in the temple town of Tarapith in West Bengal's Birbhum district on 17 August 2026 killed nine people, five of them from one Meghalaya family.
Summary
A fire broke out in the early hours of 17 August 2026 at Hotel Bideshini, a four-storey hotel in the temple town of Tarapith in West Bengal's Birbhum district, killing nine people. Five of the dead were members of one family from Meghalaya's Garo Hills, and four were from West Bengal. The fire started around 4:30 am on the ground floor near the reception, and survivors alleged that the rear fire exit was locked. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured; district officials later found at least 15 hotels in the area without fire-safety arrangements and ordered them sealed.
Key facts
- Date
- 17 August 2026
- Place
- Hotel Bideshini, Tarapith, Birbhum, West Bengal
- Deaths
- 9 (5 from one Meghalaya family)
- Start
- About 4:30 am, ground floor near reception
- PMNRF ex-gratia
- ₹2 lakh per deceased; ₹50,000 per injured
- Follow-up
- At least 15 hotels without fire safety ordered sealed
Practice MCQs 1 questions
The temple town of Tarapith, where a hotel fire killed nine people on 17 August 2026, is in which district of West Bengal?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Birbhum
Tarapith is in Birbhum district; the fire at Hotel Bideshini killed nine people, five of them from one Meghalaya family.