Kolkata: At least nine people, including a child, were killed after a massive fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata in the early hours of Wednesday.
The blaze erupted around 2:00 am, trapping several guests inside the building and triggering a major rescue operation.
Initial reports suggest the fire may have been triggered by an air-conditioner explosion, though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed.
The fire broke out at a hotel on Free School Street near New Market, one of the city’s busiest and most densely populated areas.
After receiving information about the blaze, four fire tenders rushed to the spot. A disaster management team also reached the scene and joined the rescue efforts.
Firefighters worked to evacuate those trapped inside the building and eventually brought the fire under control.
The Kolkata hotel fire comes just two days after another deadly blaze at a hotel in West Bengal’s Birbum district. At least eight people were killed and several others injured after a fire broke out at Hotel Bideshini in Tarapith in the early hours of August 17.
The blaze started around 4:30 am on the ground floor of the five-storey hotel while most guests were asleep. The hotel is located beside the holy pond near the Tarapith temple.
