|
NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire tore through a hotel in the city of
Kolkata in eastern India, killing at least 14 people, police
said Wednesday.
Senior police officer Manoj Kumar Verma told reporters that the
fire broke out Tuesday evening at the Rituraj Hotel in central
Kolkata and was doused after an effort that took six fire
engines. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
Photos and videos carried in Indian media showed people trying
to escape through the windows and narrow ledges of the building.
Kolkata’s The Telegraph newspaper reported that at least one
person died when he jumped off the terrace trying to escape.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that he was “anguished”
by the loss of lives in the fire.
Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often
flout building laws and safety codes. Activists say builders
often cut corners on safety to save costs and have accused civic
authorities of negligence and apathy.
In 2022, at least 27 people were killed when a massive fire tore
though a four-story commercial building in New Delhi.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
