Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- At least 9 dead, several injured in hotel fire in central Kolkata
- Authorities fear death toll could rise, rescue operation continues
Here’s a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Wednesday, August 19:
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Skip next section Hotel blaze in Kolkata kills 9, more feared dead08/19/2026August 19, 2026
Hotel blaze in Kolkata kills 9, more feared dead
At least nine people were killed and six others injured in the eastern city of Kolkata after a fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday, authorities said.
The blaze erupted at around 1:45 a.m. in central Kolkata, a few doors away from the city’s fire department headquarters, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. The building housed several small hotels.
Five fire-fighting units were deployed to manage the fire while police and rescue teams reached the spot.
Some 80 people had been rescued from the fire, as per the report.
What did officials say?
Fire Department Minister Kaushik Chowdhury said the deceased included both Indian and Bangladeshi nationals.
“We are trying to establish their identities. The situation inside this building is very bad. There are several hotels inside this building. I am shocked to see what was going on here,” Chowdhury said.
The minister added that a short circuit could have caused the blaze but an accurate reason would be available only after a forensic examination.
“The building management did not comply with basic safety and construction norms. It is alleged that there were several irregularities in the functioning of the hotel,” the minister added.
Meanwhile, a police officer told PTI that dense smoke made it difficult for fire fighters to reach the upper floors. “While nine people have died, more deaths are feared,” the officer said.
“Our priority is to rescue those trapped and determine the reasons for the fire. The flames have been doused, but the building is very, very hot. The cooling process is underway,” he added.
A different police officer said the owner of the building was absconding and that a case was being registered against him.
The incident comes just days after a hotel fire killed at least eight people in the Tarapith, a temple town located in the same state as Kolkata. Building fires are a common occurrence in India where old wiring and lax safety measures cause hundreds of deaths every year.
https://p.dw.com/p/5J346Skip next section Welcome to our coverage08/19/2026August 19, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Good morning and welcome to DW’s India news blog.
This is Mahima Kapoor reporting from the New Delhi bureau and I will be your guide through the country’s busy news cycle.
The Indian government is reportedly in exploratory talks to provide Indians with the option of E10 fuel. That’s a blend of fuel for vehicles which includes 90% fuel and 10% ethanol, which is meant to reduce India’s dependence on imported oil.
The report comes amid significant pushback against the government’s E20 rollout which many vehicle owners believe is damaging their engines.
In eastern India, authorities grappled with yet another hotel fire which killed several people in the early hours of Wednesday. Rescue officials are still working on site but fear the death toll may rise.
Stay tuned for this and more.
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