Kolkata hotel blaze kills at least 9 including a child
India
A fire broke out at a hotel on Free School Street in Kolkata early Wednesday morning, leaving at least nine people dead, including a child.
The blaze started around 2am and is thought to have been triggered by an air conditioner explosion, trapping several guests inside and leading to a frantic rescue effort.
Guests rescued, hotel safety questioned
Firefighters and disaster teams rushed in, managing to pull out trapped guests while many were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
The fire was finally brought under control after hours of work.
Worryingly, this tragedy comes just two days after another fatal hotel fire in West Bengal's Birbhum district that killed eight people, raising serious questions about hotel safety standards in the state.