65-Year-Old Woman Dies in Howrah Apartment Fire, 12 Rescued

A 65-year-old woman died after a fire broke out in an apartment at Andul in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Wednesday afternoon. The incident took place at around 1 pm on the second floor of a five-storey residential building.

The deceased was identified as Gopa Mukherjee, who was reportedly alone inside the apartment when the fire started. Police said the blaze probably originated in the kitchen. Her body was later recovered from inside the flat after the fire was brought under control.

Local residents were among the first to respond after noticing the fire. Some local youths attempted to control the flames and immediately alerted the Domjur police station and the fire brigade.

Five fire tenders were sent to the spot. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control in around an hour. During a subsequent search of the apartment, officials found the remains of the elderly woman.

At least 12 other residents living on different floors of the building were safely evacuated. Locals, police personnel and firefighters worked together to bring them out of the building.

One resident described the moments before the evacuation and said a domestic worker first noticed the smell of something burning. The resident initially checked the kitchen but found nothing unusual. Soon after, the maid went outside and discovered that the fire had broken out on the second floor. The residents then rushed out of the building.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be established. While officials suspect the kitchen may have been the source, further investigation is expected to determine how the blaze started and whether any electrical or other factors were involved.

The incident comes amid renewed concerns over fire safety in West Bengal following several deadly fires in recent weeks.

Last week, a major fire at a hotel in central Kolkata claimed at least nine lives, while around 60 people were rescued. Another hotel fire in Tarapith, a temple town in Birbhum district, also killed nine people, including two children. Seven of those victims were reported to be Bangladeshi nationals.

The latest Howrah incident has once again highlighted the importance of fire safety measures and quick evacuation arrangements in residential buildings, particularly in densely populated areas.