A fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata early Wednesday, killing at least nine people and injuring six, according to police.
The blaze erupted around 1:45 a.m. at a hotel in central Kolkata, near the West Bengal Fire Department headquarters. Five fire engines were deployed to combat the flames, while police and disaster management teams conducted rescue operations.
Firefighters faced challenges reaching individuals trapped on upper floors as thick smoke filled the building, a police officer told the Press Trust of India news agency. The fire was eventually brought under control.
Authorities stated that their immediate priorities were to rescue any remaining occupants and to investigate the cause of the fire, which was not immediately clear.
Deadly fires, frequently attributed to electrical malfunctions or gas cylinder explosions, are a persistent issue in India. Investigators often cite safety violations and lax enforcement of fire regulations as contributing factors to the recurring loss of life.
This incident follows a deadly blaze at a hotel in Tarapith, West Bengal, on Monday, which resulted in at least seven deaths and several critical injuries. In December, a fire in a popular nightclub in the western state of Goa claimed at least 25 lives.