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New Delhi hotel fire kills at least 21
<p>New Delhi: At least 21 people were killed when a fire ripped through a hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday, police said, in one of the deadliest blazes in the Indian capital in recent years.</p> <p>Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and routine disregard for safety regulations.</p> <p>The fire broke out in the morning at Flourish Stay, a bed-and-breakfast in a congested neighbourhood in the south of the city, Delhi Police said in a statement.</p> <p>"It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident," the force said.</p> <p>It said search and rescue operations were continuing, with more than 40 people taken to hospitals for treatment.</p> <p>Eight were in a critical condition, according to a statement by a nearby hospital where several of the injured were taken.</p> <p>Indian television channels showed flames leaping from the building and thick plumes of black smoke rising into the sky.</p> <p>Some 47 guests were in the hotel when the fire broke out, local lawmaker Satish Upadhyay told reporters.</p> <p>Locals rushed to the site, as firefighters worked to douse the blaze and ambulances arrived to help treat the injured.</p> <p>Several of those killed were visitors from African countries who had come to the city for medical treatment, the Indian Express and other local media reported.<br /> Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident "tragic".</p> <p>"My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones," his office said in a statement on X.</p> <p><strong>Unclear cause</strong></p> <p>Some reports suggested the hotel had just one door for entry and exit, and lacked proper ventilation.</p> <p>"An inquiry will be conducted, and anyone who has broken norms and is responsible will be immediately arrested," Upadhyay said.</p> <p>Some people trapped on the upper floors of the building jumped onto mattresses laid out by local residents on the street outside, the Press Trust of India reported.</p> <p>"People started to jump out of the building from second and third floors," a local resident told the news agency.</p> <p>The blaze was eventually brought under control with the help of eight fire engines, police said.</p> <p>"All concerned agencies remain deployed at the spot to ensure every possible assistance to those affected," the force added.</p> <p>The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.</p> <p>Electrical short circuits, often caused by poorly maintained wiring, remain the leading cause of fire incidents in India.</p> <p>In March, a fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed 10 critically ill patients.</p> <p>The last major fire incident in Delhi killed 43 factory workers sleeping in a building in the city's old quarter in 2019.</p>
<p>New Delhi: At least 21 people were killed when a fire ripped through a hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday, police said, in one of the deadliest blazes in the Indian capital in recent years.</p> <p>Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and routine disregard for safety regulations.</p> <p>The fire broke out in the morning at Flourish Stay, a bed-and-breakfast in a congested neighbourhood in the south of the city, Delhi Police said in a statement.</p> <p>"It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident," the force said.</p> <p>It said search and rescue operations were continuing, with more than 40 people taken to hospitals for treatment.</p> <p>Eight were in a critical condition, according to a statement by a nearby hospital where several of the injured were taken.</p> <p>Indian television channels showed flames leaping from the building and thick plumes of black smoke rising into the sky.</p> <p>Some 47 guests were in the hotel when the fire broke out, local lawmaker Satish Upadhyay told reporters.</p> <p>Locals rushed to the site, as firefighters worked to douse the blaze and ambulances arrived to help treat the injured.</p> <p>Several of those killed were visitors from African countries who had come to the city for medical treatment, the Indian Express and other local media reported.<br /> Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident "tragic".</p> <p>"My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones," his office said in a statement on X.</p> <p><strong>Unclear cause</strong></p> <p>Some reports suggested the hotel had just one door for entry and exit, and lacked proper ventilation.</p> <p>"An inquiry will be conducted, and anyone who has broken norms and is responsible will be immediately arrested," Upadhyay said.</p> <p>Some people trapped on the upper floors of the building jumped onto mattresses laid out by local residents on the street outside, the Press Trust of India reported.</p> <p>"People started to jump out of the building from second and third floors," a local resident told the news agency.</p> <p>The blaze was eventually brought under control with the help of eight fire engines, police said.</p> <p>"All concerned agencies remain deployed at the spot to ensure every possible assistance to those affected," the force added.</p> <p>The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.</p> <p>Electrical short circuits, often caused by poorly maintained wiring, remain the leading cause of fire incidents in India.</p> <p>In March, a fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed 10 critically ill patients.</p> <p>The last major fire incident in Delhi killed 43 factory workers sleeping in a building in the city's old quarter in 2019.</p>