A DEVASTATING fire has killed at least 15 people including one woman and multiple children in a horror hotel inferno in India.
Many individuals sustained injuries following a massive fire that tore through the Rituraj Hotel located in downtown Kolkata. This incident led guests to evacuate by climbing out of their windows to safety.
Local cops confirmed the terrible ordeal, saying that people were rescued from rooms and the roof of the budget hotel.
Police chief Manoj Verma said: “The death toll has risen to 15, including two children and a woman.”
He also said a probe had been launched to investigate the blaze.
The horror scene saw the hotel turn into “a gas chamber and it appears that many people suffocated to death”, the chief added.
Terrifying footage on social media showed guests climbing out the windows and onto the rooftop to get away from the blazing inferno.
Aftermath pictures showed firefighters working tirelessly to put out the fiery blaze.
At least a dozen people suffered burn injuries and received treatment as a result of the raging fire.
The Rituraj Hotel was housing 88 guests when the inferno broke out, and has a total of 42 rooms.
It is located in a densely-populated business area in central Kolkata.
Panic broke out during the horrifying ordeal, which took place at about 8:15pm local time on Tuesday.
Firefighters successfully contained the blaze by around 4:00am on Wednesday.
A specialised team has been assembled to conduct the probe which will identify the cause of the fire.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned those who died on social media.
He said on X that he was “anguished by the loss of lives”.
The leader also announced financial compensation to the families of the victims.
Local media in Kolkata said hotel guests scrambled to the building’s rooftop and used flashlights from their phone to signal for help.
Firefighters used hydraulic ladders to rescue those stranded on the ledges of the hotel.
A state spokesperson said that the fire was an “unfortunate incident”.
They said: “The fire brigade tried to rescue all the people but some of them unfortunately died because of suffocation.
“Two children were among those killed.”
Building fires are said to be common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and safety regulation.
In 2021, five people were killed after a huge fire broke out at the site of the world’s largest Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer in India.
Smoke was seen billowing from Serum Institute in India in the western city of Pune.
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