Fire tears through hotel in India's Kolkata, killing at least 14 people

A fire tore through a hotel in the city of Kolkata in eastern India, killing at least 14 people, police said on April 30, Report informs via AP.

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.