At least nine people, including a child, have been killed after a fire tore through a hotel in central Kolkata, India, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The blaze broke out at about 2am at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street, also known as Free School Street, near New Market, one of the busiest areas of Kolkata.
West Bengal Fire Services director Anuj Sharma said nine people died in the incident — six men, two women and a child.
“Thick smoke enveloped the hotel. Some victims were found in the bathrooms,” Sharma said.
The smoke reportedly spread rapidly through the building, making it difficult for firefighters to reach people trapped on the upper floors.
Firefighters, police and disaster management personnel were deployed to the scene, with about 60 people reportedly rescued from the building. Several injured victims were taken to hospital, with at least six people reported to have sustained injuries.
The fire was eventually brought under control, but emergency workers continued searching the building as authorities worked to establish the full circumstances of the tragedy.
The exact cause of the blaze remained under investigation.
Preliminary reports have pointed to possible electrical problems, while another account suggested that an air-conditioning unit may have malfunctioned or exploded. Authorities have yet to make a definitive determination.
The circumstances have also raised fresh questions about fire-safety standards in Kolkata’s densely populated hotel districts.
The affected building was a cramped multi-storey structure, and reports indicated that narrow access routes and inadequate firefighting facilities may have made the rescue operation more difficult.
Mirza Ghalib Street, formerly known as Free School Street, is a busy central Kolkata district known for budget hotels, restaurants and accommodation used by domestic and foreign visitors.
Some of the victims were reportedly Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment, although authorities were still working to confirm the identities and nationalities of those killed.
The tragedy has renewed attention on the enforcement of fire-safety regulations in older and densely packed buildings used for commercial and residential purposes.
It also came just days after another fatal hotel fire in West Bengal, increasing pressure on authorities to examine safety arrangements in the state’s hospitality sector.
Police have begun investigating the incident, including the hotel’s safety compliance and the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.
A local report said the hotel’s owner was being sought as investigators worked to determine whether any safety violations contributed to the deaths.
