Kolkata's civic body bans all rooftop restaurants days after hotel fire killed 14

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to impose a complete ban on rooftop restaurants and commercial establishments operating atop buildings across the city.

As per Rule 117, Building Rule/4, the civic body will serve formal notices to all rooftop restaurant owners, directing them to cease operations immediately.

In case of non-compliance, strict legal action will be taken.

"The roof is a common place and its encroachment is illegal. People will rush to the roof if a fire breaks out on the ground so we can't occupy that place. We would ask the owners of rooftop restaurants to close. If they don't follow the directive, law will take its own course," said Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim announcing the decision on Friday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday shut down six popular bar-cum-restaurants at Celica Park, formerly known as Magma House, in Kolkata's Park Street area over the alleged flouting of fire rules.

The six restaurants are Barbeque Nation, Black Cat, AMPM, LMNOQ, Moti Mahal Delux and Boujee House.

Mamata made a surprise visit to the Celica Park, where multi-storeyed buildings and several bar-cum-restaurants are located, on her way back from inspection of the situation after the deadly fire that broke out at Rituraj Hotel in Kolkata's Machuabazar area earlier this week.

The Chief Minister discovered rows of LPG cylinders which were placed in racks in multiple tiers of one end of the building's entrance.

Action against Rituraj Hotel

The owner and manager of Kolkata's Rituraj Hotel, where a deadly fire broke out on Tuesday evening, have been arrested.

The Kolkata Police arrested Akash Chawla and Gaurav Kapoor, the owner and manager of the hotel respectively, on Thursday morning.

The flames were brought under control almost 10 hours after 10 fire tenders were pressed into service.