Delhi hotel fire kills at least 21 people

A fire swept through a hotel in India’s capital early Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and forcing some guests to jump from windows as smoke and flames spread through the five-story building, police said.

The blaze began around 8:50 a.m. local time in the ground-floor restaurant of the Flourish Inn Stay hotel in Malviya Nagar, a densely populated neighborhood in southern Delhi. The building had a restaurant on the ground floor and hotel rooms above, where many guests were still asleep when the fire broke out.

Television and online video showed people jumping from upper floors and others trapped inside as flames and smoke moved through the building. Local residents joined the rescue effort before emergency crews arrived.

“I saw at least two people jumping out from the windows,” local resident Vasim Raja, one of the first people to reach the scene, told CBS News. “Rescuers took time to reach the spot but we brought out seven people from the basement of the building before any rescuers arrived.”

Delhi police said 47 people were inside the building when the fire started. Al Jazeera, citing police, reported that more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals. Eight fire engines were used to extinguish the blaze.

Authorities gave slightly different figures for the number of foreign nationals killed. CBS News reported that police confirmed at least 21 deaths, including 17 foreign nationals from African and Central Asian nations. Al Jazeera reported that at least 18 foreign nationals were among the dead, and cited CNN-News18 as saying the victims included people from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique and Liberia.

“It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident,” Delhi police said. The force added that “all concerned agencies remain deployed at the spot to ensure every possible assistance to those affected.”

The hotel is near Max Hospital Saket, a major health facility about 50 yards away, and is popular with people who travel to New Delhi for medical treatment. The hospital said in a statement that 18 deceased victims were brought to the facility, while 15 people were treated for various injuries in its intensive care units. Local media cited by Al Jazeera also reported that many of the victims had come to the city for medical treatment.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Authorities ordered an investigation, while CBS News reported that there were suggestions it may have been sparked by an electrical short circuit. A preliminary investigation by the fire department found the hotel did not have a valid fire safety certificate.

“There was reportedly a restaurant operating on the ground floor of the building … it is most likely that the fire was connected to that restaurant,” local administration official Jitendra Kumar told reporters.

Delhi police registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against unknown persons in connection with the fire, and an investigation was underway.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the loss of life tragic, offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He promised relief payments of 200,000 Indian rupees, about $2,020, for the families of those who died and 50,000 rupees, about $520, for injured people. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta called the incident a “heartbreaking tragedy” and offered condolences to the victims and their families.