Nearly 90 people were killed when a fire engulfed patients at a hospital on 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 3am 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. By 9am, the blaze had largely been brought under control, but smoke continued to billow from shattered windows for hours, as firemen struggled to reach those still trapped inside. A number of immobile patients were evacuated down the side of the building using ropes and pulleys. It was the second fire in three years at the same facility and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited the site, promised a full investigation.
