Five Bangladeshi nationals were among nine people killed in a devastating fire that broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal, early Wednesday, according to the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry confirmed the identities of five of the victims as Bangladeshi nationals in a press release.
The deceased Bangladeshis include Daily Ajker Patrika’s Kushtia district correspondent Debashish Dutta, his wife Afsana Sharmin, their son Sharnashish Dutta and Debashish’s father-in-law Akram Ali, according to the Dutta family.
The fifth Bangladeshi victim was identified as Ahmed Babu, a resident of Begunbari in Dhaka’s Aminbazar.
An Indian victim was also identified as Sandeep Paswan, a resident of Giridih district in Jharkhand.
The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata has already contacted the families of the deceased.
Six other Bangladeshi nationals were injured in the fire. They were released after receiving primary medical treatment.
Immediately after receiving reports of the incident, officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission rushed to the spot and began collecting information about the deceased and injured.
Deputy High Commission officials are maintaining round-the-clock contact with hospitals and local police to extend necessary assistance to the Bangladeshi nationals affected by the incident.
The mission has also opened a 24-hour helpline to provide assistance and information related to the incident.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close contact with the relevant Indian authorities over the situation.
