KOLKATA: Nine people, including a four-year-old child, were killed in a fire that swept through a five-storey building housing several hotels on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata's New Market area early Wednesday, police said.
Five of the deceased were Bangladeshi nationals, according to Kolkata Police and the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. Four of the Bangladeshi victims belonged to the same family.
The fire broke out at the building in the early hours of Wednesday, triggering a major rescue operation. Several other people, including Bangladeshi nationals, were injured and taken to hospital for treatment.
Among the Bangladeshi victims were journalist Debashis Dutta, his wife Afsana Sarmin, their four-year-old son Swarnashis Dutta and Afsana's father Mohammad Akram. The family were residents of Kushtia in Bangladesh. The fifth victim was identified as Babu Ahmed of Aminbazar in Dhaka.
Dutta and his family had arrived in India on August 3 for medical treatment for his son and father-in-law at a hospital in Bengaluru. They reached Kolkata on August 18.
Officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission visited the site and hospitals following the fire and identified the deceased Bangladeshi nationals. Six other Bangladeshi nationals who were injured were discharged after receiving primary treatment, according to the mission.
The deputy high commission has contacted the families of the deceased and is coordinating with hospitals and local police to provide assistance to those affected. The mission has also opened a 24-hour helpline for Bangladeshi nationals affected by the incident.
The fire has also raised questions over safety arrangements in the building, which housed several hotels and other establishments.
According to fire officials, the blaze spread rapidly through the building, leaving occupants struggling to find ways to escape. Most of the victims are suspected to have died from smoke inhalation and asphyxiation, rather than burns.
Fire and Emergency Services personnel rescued around 80 people from the building after receiving the emergency call. Several fire tenders were deployed to the site.
Officials are examining whether the building and the hotels operating there had the required fire-safety clearances and other mandatory permissions. Police have also begun an investigation into the cause of the blaze.
A forensic team examined the premises and collected evidence from the site. Investigators are also examining whether an electrical short circuit or another technical fault triggered the fire.
The incident has prompted scrutiny of fire-safety compliance among hotels and guest houses in Kolkata, particularly those operating from congested buildings with limited escape routes.
The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry is also in contact with the relevant Indian authorities regarding the incident and assistance to the affected nationals.
(With inputs from PTI)