At least nine people, including a child and woman, were killed and six others injured in a devastating fire at a hotel on Mirza Galib Street in central Kolkata on early Wednesday.
The incident comes just two days after another hotel fire in West Bengal, India.
On Monday, eight people died and several others were injured, allegedly due to a short circuit, at a hotel in Tarapith in Birbhum district, officials said.
According to police sources, five fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze that erupted around 2 am.
Police and Disaster Management Department personnel reached the spot for the rescue operation. The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital.
“The dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors. While nine people have died, more deaths are feared,” a police officer said.
“Our priority is to rescue those trapped and determine the reasons for the fire. The flames have been doused, and the cooling process is underway,” he added.
West Bengal Fire Department headquarters is located close to the hotel building.
The hotel operators in Tarapith have been taken into custody after an FIR was registered, and police are questioning them as part of the investigation. (NewIndianExpress)