A major fire which engulfed several storey of a central Delhi hotel early on Tuesday, took the lives of one child and 16 others. Four others were reportedly injured in the inferno.
According to reports, the fire broke out on the third and fourth floors, but quickly spread down to other floors. Many people were still fast asleep at the time of the incident.
25 firefighters reportedly rushed to the spot after receiving a call at 4.30 a.m. About 35 people were rescued from the six-storey Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh, New Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mandeep Randhawa said. 3 people jumped off from the blazing building.
A senior police officer disclosed that a child and 16 others, including a woman, died in the fire outbreak. Most victims died of suffocation, Fire Chief Officer G.C. Mishra said. The death toll could rise further.
At least 35 rooms in the hotel were booked by members of one family, who were in the city for a special function.
The hotel comprises a basement, a ground floor and four other floors. Only the basement and ground floors were not affected. Most damages were reported between the second and the fourth floor.