Soon after the fire broke out, the fire tenders from the fire services department station, which is located near the hotel on the same street, rushed to the spot and brought out the nine bodies from the hotel

Besides the personnel from the state fire services department, the cops from the local New Market Police Station and the personnel from the state disaster management team reached the spot after receiving the information

The hotel guests were asleep when the fire broke out. Local eyewitnesses claimed that flames were not visible from outside initially and only black smoke was emitted

As soon as the fire broke out, the hotel's elevator was stopped. The residents tried to go down the stairs, but some could not find a way out. The smoke increased, causing suffocation, and they fell unconscious, as per initial reports

Questions are now surfacing about the lack of a fire safety system in the hotel. The police have doubts about whether the hotel or those near it have adequate firefighting systems. The police have already cordoned off the hotel and its surrounding areas and started an investigation into the matter

 West Bengal Cabinet Minister Agnimitra Paul, centre, state MoS Purnima Chakraborty also went to site to assess the situation

An ambulance at the site after a fire broke out at a dingy five-storey building housing several hotels on Mirza Galib Stree