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.
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).
A Delhi Police statement confirmed the death toll, adding that over 40 people were rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
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. “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.