KOLKATA: At least nine people were killed and six others injured after a massive fire broke out at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata early Wednesday, officials said.
According to news agency ANI, all nine deceased were Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment.
The fire broke out at around 2am, prompting fire department personnel to rush to the spot and launch a rescue operation. Six injured people were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.
A police officer told PTI that dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors. Officials feared the death toll could rise.
“Our priority is to rescue those trapped and determine the reasons for the fire. The flames have been doused, and the cooling process is underway,” the officer said.
The cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the deaths are being investigated. The headquarters of the West Bengal Fire Department is located close to the hotel.
8 killed in separate incident
In a separate incident in Birbhum district, at least eight people were killed after a fire broke out at a private hotel in Tarapith on Tuesday.
The blaze erupted at around 5am on the ground floor of the four-storey Hotel Bideshinii, located near a pond and a short distance from Tarapith police station.
Most of the guests were asleep when the fire broke out. Firefighters reached the hotel and brought the blaze under control before rescuing the injured and taking them to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
