At least nine Bangladeshi nationals have been killed in a devastating fire at a hotel on Free School Street near Kolkata’s New Market area. The victims were reportedly in Kolkata for medical treatment and had been staying at the hotel when the fire broke out early Wednesday morning.
The blaze reportedly started at around 3 a.m. and quickly spread through parts of the hotel. Thick smoke and flames prevented several guests from escaping the building in time, leaving them trapped inside.
Four fire engines were dispatched to the scene after the incident was reported. Members of the disaster management team later joined the rescue operation. Firefighters faced significant difficulties reaching guests trapped on the upper floors, which had become heavily filled with smoke.
Although the fire was eventually brought under control, nine people lost their lives. Police said rescue and investigation operations are continuing, while authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the death toll could rise.
A preliminary assessment suggests that the fire may have started following an explosion involving an air-conditioning unit. However, authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
Three West Bengal government ministers—Municipal and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Pal, Industry and Commerce Minister Tapas Roy, and Purnima Chakraborty—visited the scene to assess the situation.
The Kolkata tragedy has renewed concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in hotels across West Bengal. The incident occurred just two days after another deadly hotel fire in Tarapith, Birbhum, on August 17, in which at least eight people were killed at Hotel Bideshini.
The fire at the five-storey hotel in Tarapith reportedly broke out on the ground floor at around 4:30 a.m., when most guests were asleep and unable to escape quickly.
Five members of a family from Meghalaya, including two children, were among those killed in that incident.