Three killed in hotel fire

The three deceased from Kolkata, who had checked into the hotel at Barbil yesterday, were sleeping when the fire broke out around 3 AM and filled the building with thick smoke.

The victims apparently failed to come out of the two-storeyed hotel building following the fire which was suspected to have erupted due to a short circuit.

Police and fire brigade personnel ventured into the building after the blaze was extinguished, police said, adding three persons were declared dead, three others were injured and undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

Two of the deceased were identified as Gautam Basu (61) and Arun Kumar Choudhury. There were nine occupants in the hotel besides staff, who managed to come out safely, they said.