Nine people were killed and eight others seriously injured in a devastating fire at a residential hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street near New Market in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Kolkata Police said all nine of those killed were Bangladeshi nationals.
The injured were rescued and admitted to Kolkata Medical College Hospital and several other medical facilities. The victims had travelled to India for medical treatment and were staying at Hotel Shikha Inn, located on the third floor of a five-storey building.
Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, a guest at the hotel, said the fire broke out on the third floor at around 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday (August 19). The entire building quickly filled with smoke. Many people became trapped inside because of the narrow entrance and inadequate firefighting facilities.
As the building is located close to the fire service headquarters, firefighters reached the scene quickly, brought the blaze under control and began rescue operations. Fire officials initially suspected that a short circuit may have caused the fire.
The building houses several other residential hotels operating under different names. These hotels are mainly used by tourists and patients from Bangladesh seeking medical treatment in India. However, the total number of people inside the building at the time of the fire could not immediately be confirmed.
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