A fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, eastern India, killing nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals.

According to Reuters and India's PTI news agency, local time on the 19th, the fire broke out at around 2:50 a.m. at a budget hotel in Kolkata, located in the eastern state of West Bengal.

The blaze killed nine people, including five Bangladeshis, and injured six others, who were rushed to nearby hospitals.

The fatalities included one child, and four of the five dead Bangladeshi nationals were reportedly members of the same family.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh stated that all six injured individuals are also its citizens, adding that they received emergency treatment and have been discharged.

Anuj Sharma, Director General of Fire Services for West Bengal, said, "Dense smoke engulfed the hotel (after the fire broke out)," and added, "Some of the victims were found inside a bathroom."

The victims had reportedly traveled to Kolkata to receive medical treatment and were staying at the budget hotel.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people from Bangladesh travel to neighboring India to access affordable medical services.

Kolkata, in particular, attracts many medical tourists as it is close to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.

AFP reported that there were 60 guests staying at the hotel at the time of the fire.

The hotel where the fire occurred is situated in a densely populated area in central Kolkata known for many budget accommodations and restaurants.

Immediately after the fire broke out, five fire tenders arrived at the scene, but firefighters faced difficulties accessing the upper floors due to dense smoke.

A senior police officer stated that the fire first started on the second floor of the hotel building and was extinguished within an hour.

Sharma added that the fire is believed to have been caused by an air conditioner explosion, and that the remaining guests were evacuated.

Major fires frequently occur in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and failure to properly adhere to safety regulations.

In June, a fire at a basement restaurant of a hotel in the Malviya Nagar area of southern New Delhi killed 21 people, and in December of last year, a fire at a nightclub in the western resort state of Goa claimed 25 lives.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)