At Least 70 Killed in Kolkata Hospital Fire

At least 70 people were killed when a fire engulfed a hospital Friday in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, with many victims believed to be patients who died of smoke inhalation.

Most of the victims appeared to be patients, trapped by the smoke and flames that spread rapidly through the private AMRI hospital during the night.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promised a full investigation and said action would be taken if fire prevention standards were found to have been below standard.

The fire broke out around 3:00 am (2130 GMT Thursday) and initial investigations suggested that it started in the basement of the AMRI hospital.

By 9:00 am, the blaze had largely been brought under control, but smoke continued to billow from shattered windows, as firemen struggled to reach patients and hospital staff still trapped inside.

Hospital staff said a total of 160 patients were in the building at the time.

Distraught relatives gathered outside to follow the rescue operation.

"My mother is in the intensive care unit. She's 70 years old. I don't know if she is alive or not," Khokon Chakravathi told Agence France Presse.

Badal Sikari, a local resident who had helped the first emergency teams to arrive at the scene, said he had seen "several bodies" of people who appeared to have suffocated.

Fire engines had trouble reaching the hospital, which is surrounded by a network of narrow, winding roads.