India hotel fire kills 9, more injured

Kolkata, India witnessed a devastating hotel fire on Wednesday that claimed at least nine lives and left several others injured, according to a senior fire department official. The fire broke out in the early hours of the day, engulfing a budget hotel in thick smoke. Anuj Sharma, the fire services director of West Bengal state, confirmed that nine individuals were killed, including a child, while nine others were rescued and taken to the hospital. Thick smoke was reported to have enveloped the hotel, with some victims found in the bathrooms.

Preliminary investigations suggested that an air conditioner in the hotel might have exploded, triggering the fire, Sharma stated. The nine victims included six men, two women, and a child. Santosh Pathak, a member of West Bengal's ruling party, revealed that some of the victims were Bangladeshi nationals who had traveled to Kolkata for medical treatment. Pathak informed reporters that efforts were underway to confirm the nationalities of the deceased.

The hotel housed a total of 60 guests when the fire erupted. In India, building fires are alarmingly common due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a general disregard for safety regulations.