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West Bengal government seeks custodial interrogation of Abhishek Banerjee's aide in land-grabbing case

The top court, on August 6, had stayed the arrest of Sumit Roy in connection with the land-grabbing case. It, however, directed him to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.

West Bengal government seeks custodial interrogation of Abhishek Banerjee's aide in land-grabbing case

A fire erupted at a hotel in Kolkata, India's capital of West Bengal, early Wednesday morning, claiming at least nine lives and causing six injuries, according to police. The blaze ignited around 1:45 a.m. in a hotel in central Kolkata, near the headquarters of the West Bengal Fire Department, reported the Press Trust of India news agency.

Five fire engines were dispatched to combat the flames, while police and disaster management teams initiated rescue operations. The injured were promptly transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Firefighters encountered significant challenges reaching individuals trapped on higher floors due to the thick smoke enveloping the structure, a police officer informed the news agency.

Efforts to extinguish the fire were successful, according to the officer. Authorities emphasized their primary concern was rescuing any remaining trapped occupants and conducting an investigation into the fire's origin, which remained unknown at the time. Nine fatalities have been confirmed, though the death toll could potentially increase, stated the police.

Deadly fires, often attributed to electrical malfunctions or gas cylinder explosions, are frequent occurrences in India.

Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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