A hotel near New Market in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, caught fire in the early hours of Wednesday, killing nine people, according to Indian media reports.
The fire reportedly broke out in one of the hotel rooms at around 2 a.m. and quickly spread to several other rooms.
After receiving the alert, four fire engines and disaster response teams rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation. Firefighters found nine people unconscious inside the hotel and took them to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The deceased reportedly included six men, two women and a child.
Police suspect that thick smoke generated by the fire may have been a major factor in the deaths. As most of the hotel guests were asleep when the fire broke out, many reportedly failed to realise the danger in time.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether any Bangladeshi nationals or other foreign nationals were among the deceased.
The exact cause of the fire also remains unclear. Investigators are examining whether an electrical short circuit may have sparked the blaze.
The incident occurred just two days after a hotel fire in Tarapith, Birbhum district, West Bengal, killed nine people.
With successive hotel fires resulting in fatalities, the latest incident has raised fresh questions over fire-safety systems, emergency exits and fire-prevention measures at hotels across West Bengal.
Ref: Indian media
