At least 9 killed, six injured in massive fire at hotel in Kolkata

At least nine people died, and six were injured in a fire at a hotel on Mirza Galib Street in central Kolkata early on Wednesday night, police said.

Five fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze that erupted around 1.45 am.

Police and Disaster Management Department personnel reached the spot for the rescue operation.

The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital.

"The dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors.

While nine people have died, more deaths are feared," a police officer told PTI.

"Our priority is to rescue those trapped and determine the reasons for the fire.

The flames have been doused, and the cooling process is underway," he added.

West Bengal Fire Department headquarters is located close to the hotel building.