Eight Bangladeshis confirmed among 9 killed in Kolkata hotel fire

AT least eight Bangladeshi nationals were among nine people killed in a fire that broke out at a hotel in central Kolkata early today, according to an official at the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in the Indian city.

Six others were injured in the fire, the official said.

The identity of the other deceased could not be confirmed.

Earlier, Mahishur, a member of the Local Welfare Committee, said all the deceased were from Bangladesh. Indian media reports, including those by PTI and NDTV, said the nine people had travelled to Kolkata from Bangladesh for medical treatment.

Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata Mohammad Khaled and other officials have visited the hospitals where the injured were admitted and where the bodies were kept.

“We are yet to identify those killed or injured. It will take some time,” Omar Faruk, second secretary at the deputy high commission, told The Daily Star earlier.

He said the area where the fire occurred is a popular destination for Bangladeshis travelling to Kolkata for medical treatment. The deputy high commission has also communicated with local authorities to ensure proper treatment and care for the injured, he added.

The fire broke out around 1:45 am at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street, near the New Market area, PTI reported, citing police.

Five fire tenders, along with police and disaster management personnel, joined the rescue operation. Firefighters rescued several people from the building, while the injured were taken to a nearby hospital.

Dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to reach the upper floors, a police officer told PTI. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.

NDTV, citing initial reports, said an air-conditioner explosion was suspected to have triggered the fire, although authorities have yet to confirm the cause.