Kolkata: At least nine people, including a child, died after a massive fire broke out at a hotel on Free School Street near New Market in Kolkata in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said. Several others were rescued from the building as firefighters battled dense smoke and flames.

Initial reports suggest the fire may have started on the third floor of the hotel and could have been triggered by an air conditioner explosion, though authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause. The blaze was reported around 2:00 am, prompting a large scale rescue operation in one of the city's busiest and most crowded areas.

According to officials, around 60 people were rescued from the building. The victims were later taken to hospital, where nine people were declared dead. One of those killed was reportedly a resident of Jharkhand, while others included Bangladeshi nationals who had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment.

Fire officials said the hotel appeared to lack basic fire safety measures, and police have registered a case. The hotel owner and some staff members are currently absconding, and a search is underway for them.

Four fire tenders rushed to the spot after the alert was raised at 2:07 am, along with a disaster management team. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after battling thick smoke that made movement inside the building difficult.

Police said the rescue operation is still being examined, and the exact sequence of events leading to the fire will be determined after a detailed investigation.

The Kolkata tragedy came just days after another deadly hotel fire in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, raising fresh concerns over fire safety compliance in hotels across the state.