Five Bangladeshi nationals were among nine people killed in a fire that broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, India, early Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, citing local authorities.
“According to local authorities, nine people have so far died in the fire. Police have confirmed the identities of five of them as Bangladeshi nationals,” the ministry said in a media release.
Four of the Bangladeshi victims were members of the same family, it said, adding that local authorities have yet to confirm the identities of the remaining victims.
Meanwhile, six Bangladeshi nationals injured in the fire have been released from hospital after receiving primary treatment.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the government will bring back the bodies of five Bangladeshi nationals killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata as soon as possible after completion of the identification and other necessary formalities.
“We have already contacted our Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and the family members of those who were killed. Once the identification and other formalities are completed, we can bring these bodies back to Bangladesh as soon as possible,” she told reporters, adding that the Bangladesh mission in Kolkata is working on the matter.
Responding to a question, the State Minister said the government would consider bearing the repatriation expenses if the families of the victims are unable to afford them.
Officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close contact with hospitals and local police to provide necessary assistance to the Bangladeshi nationals affected by the incident, said the ministry.
The mission has also opened a round-the-clock helpline to assist Bangladeshi nationals and their families.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close coordination with the relevant Indian authorities and monitoring developments concerning the Bangladeshi victims.
A Bangladeshi journalist and three members of his family were among those killed in the fire, UNB’s Kushtia correspondent reports.
The deceased were identified as Debashis Dutta, 40, Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine; his wife, Afsana Simmin, 25; their three-year-old daughter, Swarna Shish Dutta; and his father-in-law, Akram Ali, 64.
According to family sources, Dutta had travelled to Kolkata with his ailing wife for medical treatment. He is survived by another daughter, aged eight, as well as his parents.
Dutta’s family home is in the Arouapara Rajarhat area of Kushtia town, while his father-in-law, Akram Ali, was from the Thanapara area.
Gazi Mahbub Rahman, former president of the Kushtia Press Club and editor of the local newspaper Ajker Alo, said Dutta was serving as the newspaper’s executive editor. He was also working as Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine.
According to Indian news agency ANI, the Bangladeshi nationals had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment, citing the fire service department.
The fire broke out at around 2:00 am at a hotel on Free School Street near New Market, one of Kolkata’s busiest and most densely populated areas.
Four fire tenders were rushed to the scene after the blaze was reported, while a disaster management team also joined the rescue operation.
Firefighters worked to evacuate guests trapped inside the building before bringing the blaze under control. A cooling operation was underway after the flames were doused.
“The 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 cause of the fire. The flames have been doused, and the cooling process is underway,” the officer said.
Initial reports suggested that the fire may have been triggered by an air-conditioner explosion, although the exact cause had not yet been confirmed.