Kolkata: At least nine people, including a child, were killed and six others injured after a fire broke out at a hotel in central Kolkata in the early hours of Wednesday, police said. The blaze erupted at around 2:50 a.m. on the second floor of the hotel building and was brought under control within about an hour, according to a senior police officer. Firefighters carried out rescue operations as thick smoke engulfed the premises. The hotel is located in a densely populated part of central Kolkata. Local reports said the building housed multiple hotels and that difficult conditions inside the premises hampered evacuation.
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At least five of those killed were Bangladeshi nationals, according to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry. The victims were reportedly among people who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment. Authorities were working to establish the identities and nationalities of all those who died. Six injured people were taken to hospital for treatment. Around 80 people were reportedly rescued from the building during the emergency response. The cause of the fire has not yet been conclusively established. Police indicated that an electrical short circuit could have triggered the blaze, but an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause and examine whether required fire-safety measures were in place.
The incident has again raised concerns over fire safety in congested urban buildings, particularly hotels and other establishments operating in old or tightly packed structures. The tragedy comes shortly after another hotel fire in West Bengal’s Tarapith, where several people were killed earlier this week, adding to concerns over fire-safety compliance in accommodation facilities across the state. Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s blaze, including the building’s electrical and fire-safety arrangements, as the investigation continues.
