9 Bangladeshis killed in Kolkata hotel fire

Nine Bangladeshi nationals, including a child, were killed and several others injured in a devastating fire at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata's New Market area early on Wednesday, August 19 . The victims, six men, two women and a child, had all travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment and were staying at the hotel.

The fire broke out around 2am at Hotel Taiba (Shikha Inn), a residential hotel, while most of the guests were asleep . The four-storey building housed multiple hotels with different names on each floor . The blaze is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit or an air-conditioner blast, with dense smoke complicating rescue efforts . Firefighters struggled to reach the upper floors due to the heavy smoke, and guests were trapped due to a narrow, single exit route .

Six injured people were rescued and taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital; their condition was not immediately known . Doctors initially suspect the victims died from smoke inhalation and suffocation, as their bodies showed no significant signs of burns . A full investigation is underway, with authorities expected to inspect the hotel's safety measures, which have come under question due to the building's structure and lack of fire safety equipment .