A massive fire engulfed a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Central Kolkata early on Wednesday. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)For the guests at Shikha Inn, Tuesday night turned out to be a nightmare as they woke up to screams of fire.“We were on the fourth floor and asleep when we woke to screams of fire. We opened the door, and it was completely dark, filled with smoke,” recalled 50-year-old Mohd Nazmul, who, like several guests at the hotel in the New Market area of Kolkata, was in the city for medical treatment.Nazmul was lucky. He somehow managed to reach the terrace before the firefighters rescued him and others.“Escaping was very difficult as the rooms were crammed,” Nazmul added.“At one point, I thought I would die. There was no oxygen. I could not breathe,” he said.Prithvi and his friend Pankaj Agari, both in their 20s, had come from Uttar Pradesh for sightseeing. “We were very tired. So, after dinner we fell asleep. Suddenly, around 2:30 am, we heard screams. We were on the third floor. There was smoke, and we could not see anything. I woke my friend and tried to climb down the stairs. But the iron stairs were hot. We could not even step on the stairs. The concrete stairs leading to the terrace were very narrow, and only one person could go at a time,” said Prithvi, who injured his leg while trying to escape.The two friends decided to jump from the third floor. “We climbed out on the balcony into the AC units. We hopped from one AC unit to another, praying that it would not collapse. We saw an asbestos shed, and we jumped. However, I slipped and fell and hurt my leg. But I survived. It is God’s grace,” he added.Story continues below this adAnother visitor from Bangladesh, Kawsar Hossain, was staying on the first floor with his family, including his child. Hotel workers knocked on their door and alerted them about the fire, after which the family rushed out. Only outside did Kawsar realise their passports were still inside. He went back into the hotel to retrieve them.But for visiting Bangladesh journalist Debashis Dutta and his family, the night ended in a tragedy. Dutta (37), his wife Afsana Shirmin (25), their four-year-old son Swarnashis and Afsana’s father, 64-year-old Akram Ali, were among the nine people who died in the blaze. The family had arrived in India on August 3. Dutta, his wife and son had travelled to Bengaluru for Afsana’s treatment, while Akram Ali was staying in Kolkata, police said.Among the victims was 19-year-old Sandeep Paswan, who was from Giridih, Jharkhand, and worked in the hotel. Sandeep had come to Kolkata just five months ago, leaving his studies to support his family after his father’s death.“I found this job for him so that he could support his family. To save money, he used to stay in the hotel,” said his uncle Sitaram Paswan, waiting outside the mortuary of the Calcutta Medical College.Story continues below this ad“I got a call around 3 am that there was a fire at the hotel where he worked and that we should go to the (Calcutta) medical college. I rushed to the hospital, and they said that he had died. I got him this job and brought him here. How will I face his family now?” said Sitaram, who was inconsolable.According to police, seven of the nine deceased have been identified. While two are Indians, the remaining five are from Bangladesh. Besides, Sandeep, the other Indian victim has been identified as Yog Narayan Aggarwal, a 68-year-old from Siliguri.The other Bangladeshi nationals have been identified as Akram Ali, 74, and Babu Ahmed, 37. Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage. Experience Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness. Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances. Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including: State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies. Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues. Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Kolkata