At least nine people, including a child, have died after a devastating fire swept through a hotel in central Kolkata, eastern India, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The blaze erupted at about 2:50 a.m. local time in the hotel, located in a densely populated area of the city. Thick smoke rapidly spread through the building, trapping some occupants and making rescue efforts difficult.
Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control within about an hour, while emergency teams evacuated dozens of people from the building. Other reports said roughly 60 to 80 people were rescued from the wider building, while six people were injured and taken to hospital.
Preliminary reports indicate that an electrical fault or possible air-conditioning malfunction may have triggered the fire, but authorities have stressed that the exact cause has not yet been established. Investigators are also examining possible fire-safety and building-code violations.
The tragedy has drawn further attention to safety concerns surrounding budget hotels and other establishments operating in older, congested buildings in central Kolkata. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the cause of the blaze.
The identities and nationalities of the victims are still being confirmed. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said five of those killed had been identified as Bangladeshi nationals, while other reports have indicated that additional victims may also have been from Bangladesh.
