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KOLKATA: A fire ripped through a hotel in the Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday, killing nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals who were seeking medical care, officials said.
“Nine people were killed, including a child, in the fire that broke out early on Wednesday,” Anuj Sharma, the fire services director of West Bengal state, said.
“Thick smoke enveloped the hotel. Some victims were found in the bathrooms.” Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and routine disregard for safety regulations.
The Kolkata blaze came only two days after eight people were killed in another hotel fire in West Bengal’s holy town of Tarapith, where Hindu devotees had gathered for the sacred month of Shravan.
