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


Firefighters and other officials stand on the street in the aftermath of hotel a fire that killed several people in Kolkata, India, August 19, 2026. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary

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 accommodationsand restaurants.

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

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Others Also Read