At least nine people, including a child, died early Wednesday when a fire swept through a budget hotel in central Kolkata, India. The blaze erupted around 2:50 a.m. on the second floor of the Sikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street, where about 60 guests were staying.
All nine victims have been identified as Bangladeshi nationals who had traveled to India for medical treatment. Dense smoke enveloped the building, and some victims were discovered in bathrooms. Nine survivors — six men, two women, and one child — were hospitalized, while roughly 80 people were evacuated.
West Bengal Fire Department Chief Anuj Sharma said the fire was suspected to have been caused by an air conditioner explosion. The building reportedly lacked fire escape routes and extinguishers, and police are searching for the absconding hotel owner. The incident follows a string of deadly hotel fires across India in recent years.