Indian hotel fire kills nine, including five Bangladeshi nationals

A devastating fire engulfed a hotel in Kolkata, India on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of nine lives. Five of the victims were Bangladeshi nationals who were seeking medical care. The fire services director of West Bengal state, Anuj Sharma, informed AFP that the fire broke out early on Wednesday, with thick smoke enveloping the hotel and some victims found in the bathrooms.

While building fires are a common occurrence in India due to a shortage of firefighting equipment and disregard for safety regulations, the cause of this particular blaze remains under investigation. Preliminary information suggests that an air conditioner at the budget hotel, Shika Inn, may have exploded, triggering the fire. Bangladesh's deputy high commission in Kolkata reported that five of the deceased were Bangladeshi nationals, with four of them being related.

The Bangladeshi nationals had traveled to Kolkata for medical treatment, as the city accommodates over half of Bangladeshis seeking affordable healthcare due to its close proximity to Dhaka. At least 60 guests were at the hotel at the time of the fire, with six people sustaining injuries and being taken to the hospital. A guest from Satkhira, Bangladesh, named Atiyar Rehman, expressed distress over the lack of fire safety systems in the hotel, recounting how the dense smoke made escape difficult.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life, promising assistance to the affected. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, announced a comprehensive inquiry into the incident, with a five-member team to be led by the state fire minister, Kaushik Chaudhary, who stated that the police are probing possible safety lapses at the hotel situated in a densely populated and busy area of Kolkata.