At least nine people were killed, including a child, in a fire at a hotel in India's eastern city of Kolkata on Wednesday, local police said.
The fire broke out at around 2.50am local time on the second floor of the hotel building and was brought under control within an hour, a senior police officer told Reuters.
Around 30 people were evacuated safely in the incident, which may have been triggered by electrical short circuiting, the officer said.
The exact cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained, he added.
"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 Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Thick smoke enveloped the hotel. Some victims were found in the bathrooms.”
Preliminary information suggested an air conditioner in the budget hotel may have exploded and caused the blaze, Sharma said.
He added that nine people -- six men, two women and a child -- were rescued and taken to hospital.
News agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, reported citing the fire department, that among the dead were Bangladeshi citizens who were in Kolkata to seek medical treatment.
NDTV reported all nine dead were Bangladeshis.
The senior police official Reuters spoke to, however, said the nationalities of those killed were yet to be ascertained.
The hotel is in a congested area in central Kolkata and is known for budget accommodations and restaurants.
– with Agencies inputs --
