New Delhi : At least 21 people were killed in a fire on Wednesday in a multi-storey building housing a bed and breakfast hotel in a congested area of the Indian capital.
Over 40 people were rescued from the building in the Hauz Rani area of southern New Delhi, a police department official said.
They were rushed to nearby hospitals and 21 were declared dead. The victims included foreign nationals from Central Asia and Africa. The police have not yet identified the dead. The cause of the fire is not clear.
The fire service has extinguished the fire and is searching the building, deputy fire officer AK Malik said. It was unclear whether the building had a fire exit and the required permissions.
Rekha Gupta, Delhi Chief Minister, said the cause of the blaze will be investigated. She pledged support for the injured and families of the victims.
His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, expressed his condolences and announced financial assistance. Deaths from fires are common in India and are usually due to poor safety measures and a lack of fire escapes. Fires are often caused by substandard or ageing electrical equipment.
