KOLKATA: At least nine people, including a four-year-old child, were killed and six others injured after a fire broke out early Wednesday at a cramped five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata, which housed several hotels, police said.The blaze erupted around 1.45am, following which five fire tenders were rushed to the spot.Police and Disaster Management Department personnel also joined the rescue operation.A senior official said around 80 people were rescued from the five-storey building.Fire department minister Kaushik Chowdhury told news agency PTI that the identities of those killed have not yet been established. The deceased include both Indian and Bangladeshi nationals, he said after visiting the site.“We are trying to establish their identities. The situation inside this building is very bad. There are several hotels inside this building. I am shocked to see what was going on here,” Chowdhury said.Asked about the cause of the fire, the minister said that it could be because of a short circuit. “But a forensic examination would reveal what led to the blaze,” he said.“The building management did not comply with basic safety and construction norms. It is alleged that there were several irregularities in the functioning of the hotel,” the minister added.The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital.“Dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors. While nine people have died, more deaths are feared,” a police officer told PTI.“Our priority is to rescue those trapped and determine the reasons for the fire. The flames have been doused, but the building is very, very hot. The cooling process is underway,” he added.“When the nine bodies were brought out of the hotel building premises, there were not many burn injuries on their bodies. In fact, as told to us by other residents of the hotel, who have been safely evacuated, the intensity of the fire within the building was not high. But the entire complex was covered in thick black smoke, thereby causing severe breathing problems. There comes the question of severe lapses in the ventilation facilities,” said a state fire services department official present at the spot.“A case is being registered at the New Market police station, with police initiating proceedings against the owner,” he said, adding that police have begun raids at the owner’s residence as part of efforts to trace him.An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances that led to the fire and whether safety regulations were violated.(With agency inputs)
