Published : 19 Aug 2026, 08:53 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:34 AM
Conflicting reports have emerged over the number of Bangladeshi nationals among the nine people killed in a fire at a hotel in Kolkata’s New Market area.
Citing the fire department, Indian news agency ANI initially reported that all nine victims were Bangladeshis who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment.
Several hours later, however, Indian media revised the information.
Broadcaster NDTV reported that one of the victims had been identified as a resident of India’s Jharkhand state, while saying Bangladeshi nationals were among those killed.
Kolkata-based Anandabazar Patrika, meanwhile, reported that “most” of the victims were Bangladeshis.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry says it has so far confirmed the deaths of five Bangladeshi nationals.
“We have heard that eight of the nine people killed in the Kolkata fire were Bangladeshis,” ministry spokesman AKM Shahidul Karim told bdnews24.com.
“The deaths of five Bangladeshis have been confirmed. The other three are also feared to be Bangladeshi nationals.”
The foreign ministry later said in a statement that local police had confirmed five of the nine people killed as Bangladeshi citizens, while the identities of the remaining victims had yet to be established by local authorities.
Four of the five confirmed Bangladeshi victims were members of the same family, according to the ministry.
Officials from the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata went to the scene after learning of the fire and began gathering information about the dead and injured.
The mission has contacted the families of the confirmed Bangladeshi victims, the ministry said.
Six Bangladeshi nationals were also injured in the fire but were released after receiving first aid.
Deputy High Commission officials are maintaining round-the-clock contact with hospitals and local police to assist Bangladeshis affected by the fire. The mission has also opened a 24-hour helpline.
The foreign ministry and the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close contact with the relevant Indian authorities over the situation.
What Happened
The fire broke out around 2am at a hotel on Free School Street, also known as Mirza Ghalib Street, near New Market, one of Kolkata’s busiest and most densely populated areas.
At least nine people, including a child, were killed, while six others were injured, according to Indian media reports.
Smoke quickly filled the building as the fire spread, trapping several guests inside. Firefighters were alerted around 2:07am and four fire tenders were sent to the scene, with police and disaster management personnel joining the rescue operation.
Around 60 people were rescued from the building.
Initial reports suggested an air-conditioner explosion may have triggered the blaze, while others raised the possibility of an electrical fault. The cause has yet to be confirmed.
The fire was eventually brought under control and authorities searched the building as rescue operations continued.
Indian media reports said preliminary investigations had also identified shortcomings in the hotel’s fire-safety arrangements.
Kolkata Police have registered a case and are investigating the cause of the blaze and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
