Kolkata hospital fire kills 89

Nearly 90 people were killed when a fire engulfed patients at a hospital Friday in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, with officials accusing senior staff of abandoning those in their care.

The fire broke out at around 3:00 am (2130 GMT Thursday) at AMRI hospital when the vast majority of the 160 patients inside the privately-run, five-storey facility were asleep.

Kolkata Joint Police Commissioner Damayanti Sen told reporters that 89 people had been confirmed dead.

Initial investigations suggested the blaze had started in the basement, and most of the victims were patients who suffocated on the thick, acrid smoke that quickly filled the wards on the floors above. AFP