A fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, early this morning, resulting in the loss of life of several Bangladeshi nationals.
Local police have confirmed the identities of five Bangladeshi nationals among the deceased”, the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said in a statement. Nine people, including one child, died in the fire, which erupted during the early hours on Wednesday, police 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. Meanwhile, following the tragic fire at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street that claimed nine lives, Kolkata Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. “We are planning to form a team to check whether the hotels have valid permits and fire licences. Ten hotels are being run across three floors of a single building, with small rooms. This cannot be allowed. The police are still checking whether they are Bangladeshi or Indian. The police will confirm this after the investigation. Definitely, action will be taken.
A 24/7 helpline has also been established by the Deputy High Commission.”, the statement said. Around 60 others were also rescued from the burning building.
“According to local authorities, a total of nine people have died in the fire so far. Following the fire, West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul said the government is planning to form a team to check whether hotels across the city have valid permits and fire licences, flagging that the building housed multiple hotels crammed with small rooms across its floors. We have not spoken to the Chief Minister yet, but after speaking to the Chief Minister, we will make any announcement,” Paul told reporters.
Identification of Victims and Family Notification
The Deputy High Commission has reached out to the families of the victims involved in the recent incident. Among those identified, four individuals are confirmed to be members of the same family.
