What happened (Kolkata hotel fire)
A fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday at a hotel in Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata. West Bengal Police stated the fire killed at least nine people, including a child, and around 60 people were rescued from the building.
West Bengal Police reported the following victim identification pattern: five victims were Bangladeshi nationals, one victim was from Bihar, and two victims were yet to be identified.
Investigators reported the fire started around 2 a.m. inside Sikha Inn on the second floor of Florence Mansion, a five-storey property described as hosting multiple guesthouses and inns that reportedly caters largely to Bangladeshi visitors.
West Bengal Police said escape was difficult because of a narrow metal staircase. A survivor account described heavy smoke spreading through the third floor and escape by jumping out a window. Residents and survivors alleged the building lacked firefighting equipment.
West Bengal Police said the hotel owner was absconding. A special five-member investigative team was formed under the Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Department, and a first information report was registered for investigation.
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