Kolkata: At least nine people, including a child, have died after a massive fire broke out at a hotel in the New Market area of Kolkata, West Bengal, early Wednesday morning.
According to police and rescue officials, the victims are believed to have died from suffocation after smoke filled the hotel. Six other people were seriously injured and are receiving treatment at SSKM Medical College.
The fire reportedly started on the third floor of the hotel at around 2 a.m. and gradually spread to nearby buildings.
Police from the New Market police station and fire service teams reached the scene after receiving information about the blaze. Rescue operations were immediately launched to evacuate people trapped inside the hotel.
Indian news agency ANI reported that some of those killed may have been Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment. However, police have not yet officially confirmed the identities of the victims.
A fire service official said an electrical short circuit was suspected to have caused the blaze based on preliminary information. However, the exact cause will be determined after a detailed investigation.
Police have taken the hotel manager into custody for questioning as part of the investigation.
The incident comes just days after another hotel fire in Tarapith of West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday claimed the lives of nine people.
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