At least 14 people, including two children, died in a hotel fire in Kolkata on Tuesday. Around 20 people were rescued, and most fatalities were caused by asphyxiation. An inquiry has been launched to determine the fire's cause and why the hotel’s fire system failed. Prime Minister Modi expressed condolences. Fires are frequent in India due to safety violations.

At least 14 people, including two children, have been killed in a devastating hotel fire that broke out on Tuesday evening in Kolkata’s central business district, a large city in eastern India.

Police reported that approximately 20 people were rescued from the roof of the six-story budget hotel, with others being saved from narrow ledges on the building. At the time of the fire, around 50 people were inside the building, with most of the 45 rooms occupied, according to police sources cited by Reuters.

One individual died after jumping from the roof of the Rituraj Hotel, as confirmed by Kolkata's mayor and other Indian media outlets. Most of the fatalities were found in the hotel's stairwell, and authorities suspect asphyxiation to be the primary cause of death, said Sujit Bose, West Bengal's emergency services minister.

A forensic team is expected to visit the site on Wednesday. The fire was first reported at 8:15 p.m. local time (1445 GMT), originating from a room on the first floor near the kitchen. An inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the fire and why the hotel's built-in firefighting system failed to activate.

Sunjit Bose, the fire and emergency services minister of West Bengal, stated, "The forensic team is visiting the site today, and an inquiry has been ordered to find out the cause of the fire. It will also look into why the hotel's inbuilt fire fighting system did not work."

Photos and videos from Indian media outlets depicted people attempting to escape through windows and along building ledges.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the fire. His office issued a statement saying, "May the injured recover soon."

Fires are unfortunately common in India, where builders and residents often disregard building regulations and safety codes.