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Bangladeshi nationals among 9 killed in hotel blaze in India's Kolkata
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "extremely pained" to learn about the loss of life
- PUBLISHED: Wed 19 Aug 2026, 12:08 PM UPDATED: Wed 19 Aug 2026, 12:57 PM
A fire ripped through a hotel in the Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday, killing nine people including Bangladeshi nationals, authorities said, with investigators suspecting a faulty air conditioner may be the cause.
"Nine people were killed, including a child, in the fire that broke out early on Wednesday," Anuj Sharma, the fire services director of West Bengal state, told AFP. "Thick smoke enveloped the hotel. Some victims were found in the bathrooms."
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Upon receiving the news, officials from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata immediately arrived at the scene to gather information about the deceased and the injured, ANI reported.
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"According to local authorities, a total of nine people have died in the fire so far. Local police have confirmed the identities of five Bangladeshi nationals among the deceased," the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said in a statement.
"The identities of the remaining victims have not yet been confirmed by local authorities. Additionally, six injured Bangladeshi nationals were released after receiving primary treatment," the statement said.
"Officials from the Deputy High Commission are maintaining continuous contact with the hospital and local police to provide round-the-clock assistance to Bangladeshi citizens. A 24/7 helpline has also been established by the Deputy High Commission," the statement said.
Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and routine disregard for safety regulations.
Preliminary information suggested an air conditioner at the budget Shika Inn hotel may have exploded and caused the blaze, Sharma said.
A forensic team was deployed to examine the scene after the fire had been brought under control.
Sixty guests were staying at the hotel, police said in a statement. Media reports said six people were injured and taken to hospital for treatment.
On Monday, eight people died in a fire at a hotel in the state's holy town of Tarapith, where Hindu devotees had gathered for the sacred month of Shravan.
Atiyar Rehman, a guest from Satkhira in Bangladesh, told Indian Express that the hotel had no fire safety system.
"We woke up struggling to breathe in the smoke. We somehow managed to escape," Rehman said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "extremely pained" to learn about the loss of life.
"May the injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is assisting those who are affected," he said in a social media post.
West Bengal's fire minister, Kaushik Chaudhary, said police were probing possible safety lapses at the hotel, located in a crowded and busy quarter of the city.
Firefighters used ladders to scale the building, get inside through the windows and rescue people trapped inside.
"The dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors," a police officer was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.