A massive fire breaks out at a hotel in central Kolkata around 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and injuring six others. Fire and emergency services respond quickly, with rescue efforts continuing through the night and injured people taken to hospital. Authorities say the blaze is brought under control, though smoke and difficulties reaching upper floors hamper firefighting.

Multiple outlets report that the dead are Bangladeshi nationals who had come to Kolkata for medical treatment. Some reporting also identifies the hotel as “Hotel Shikhali” or “Shikha Inn Hotel,” located on Mirza Ghalib Street. Officials register a case against the owner, according to one outlet. On the cause, NDTV and others cite preliminary suspicion that an air-conditioner explosion may have triggered the fire, while other sources state the cause is not yet confirmed.

Times of India adds context by noting a separate, unrelated hotel fire in Tarapith earlier this week that killed seven people, with investigations ongoing for both incidents. Other outlets focus only on the Kolkata blaze.