At least 21 people were killed in a fire at a hotel in Delhi on Wednesday, police said, in one of the worst such incidents in the national capital in recent years.<\/p>\n
The hotel was located in Malviya Nagar in south Delhi, they said, a predominantly residential area popular with students and young professionals. The fire reportedly broke out at around 8:50am local time (0320GMT).<\/p>\n
A Delhi Police statement confirmed the death toll, adding that over 40 people were rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.<\/p>\n
Television visuals showed a building on fire, smoke billowing out and charred exteriors as residents watched from a narrow lane nearby. They also showed two people jumping from a higher floor of the building.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “tragic,” adding: \u201cMy condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Delhi\u2019s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said through X that \u201cemergency response agencies were mobilised,” with “rescue and relief operations\u201d underway.<\/p>\n
She said the government is closely monitoring the situation.<\/p>\n
Officials also said that it was a multi-story building and the fire was contained; however, the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"