Kolkata Hotel Fire Kills Nine Including Seven Bangladeshis

A tragic fire swept through the 'Shikha Inn' hotel, located on Mirza Ghalib Street in Kolkata, India, claiming the lives of nine individuals. The victims include seven Bangladeshi nationals and two Indian citizens, according to verified local reports from the incident.

The deadly blaze originated late at night on Tuesday, specifically around 2:00 a.m. local time. The fire started on the third floor of the five-story hotel building, with initial indications pointing to an air conditioner explosion or an electrical short circuit as the root cause of the disaster.

Amid the chaotic emergency response, local authorities and rescue teams managed to safely evacuate at least 60 to 70 people from the burning structure. Despite the swift rescue operations, the tragic incident ultimately resulted in a total death toll of nine lives lost.

The identities of the deceased victims include Debashish Dutta, Afsana Sharmin, Swarnashish Dutta, Md. Akram Ali, Babu Ahmed, Revati Sarkar, S.M. Alimuzzaman, Sandeep Paswan, and Yogi Narayan. Notably, among the seven deceased Bangladeshi nationals, four members belonged to a single family.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, bodies were taken to the Kolkata Medical College Hospital. On Thursday, following the completion of necessary post-mortem examinations, authorities officially began the process of handing over the remains to the victims' grieving relatives with assistance from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.

As the investigation into the disaster continues, the local police force and the New Market police station have taken legal action. Law enforcement officials have arrested Abu Zafer, who is identified as the lease-holder of the 'Shikha Inn' hotel, in connection with the deadly fire.