The Police in India has disclosed that at least 21 people have been killed, including 18 foreign nationals, as a fire ripped through a hotel in New Delhi, in one of the deadliest blazes in the Indian capital in years.
According to the Police, the dead included people from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique and Liberia and many of them had come to the city for medical treatment.
Many foreign patients travel to New Delhi for medical treatment and often stay in nearby residential accommodation during their visits.
The fire took place on Wednesday in a building in the Malviya Nagar neighborhood in the southern part of the city, which has a restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel above and the residential area is densely populated and popular with students and young professionals.
Delhi Police said in a statement that the fire was extinguished with the help of eight Fire Engines and more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals,
Television footage showed two people jumping from a higher floor of the building, and several people trapped inside as flames and smoke swept through parts of the building.
Local residents joined rescue efforts, helping evacuate people who couldn’t get out, and carrying some of the injured to safety and all concerned agencies remain deployed at the spot to ensure every possible assistance to those affected.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but building fires are relatively common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and frequent disregard for safety regulations.
A Local Administration official, Jitendra Kumar told journalists that there was a restaurant operating on the ground floor of the building and it is most likely that the fire was connected to that restaurant.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the loss of lives was tragic and extended his heartfelt condolences to those who have lost their loved ones and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Additional Reporting from Associated Press
