At least nine killed in hotel fire in India’s Kolkata

Aug 19 (Reuters) – At least nine people were killed, including a child, in a fire at a hotel in India’s eastern city of Kolkata on Wednesday, local police said. 

• The fire broke out at around 2:50 a.m. local time on the second floor of the hotel building and was brought under control within an hour, a senior police officer told Reuters.

• Around 30 people were evacuated safely in the incident, which may have been triggered by electrical short circuiting, the officer said.

• The exact cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained, he added.

• Local media reported injuries, with at least six wounded undergoing hospital treatment.

• News agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, reported citing the fire department, that among the dead were Bangladeshi citizens who were in Kolkata to seek medical treatment.

• NDTV reported all nine dead were Bangladeshis.

• The senior police official Reuters spoke to, however, said the nationalities of those killed were yet to be ascertained.

• The hotel is located in a congested area in central Kolkata and is known for budget accommodations and restaurants.

(Reporting by Jatindra Dash, Writing by Hritam Mukherjee, Editing by Saad Sayeed)