Fire tears through hotel in eastern Indian city of Kolkata, killing at least 14 people

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.