At least 15 students die in India fire

Ahmedabad, India: At least 15 students died Friday in a fire in a building in India housing a college, officials said, with images on television and social media showing people jumping to escape the blaze.



"The students lost their life both because of the fire and jumping out of the building," Deepak Sapthaley, a fire official in the western city of Surat, told AFP.

Ten of them died from the jump and five from the fire, with up to 20 being treated in hospital, he said. The images showed blazing orange flames and black smoke billowing out of the building.

Sapthaley added that 50 or 60 people were inside the coaching institute on the top floor of the building when the blaze began. The cause was not yet known.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who comes from Gujarat state where the fire broke out, said on Twitter: "Extremely anguished by the fire tragedy in Surat.

"My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Have asked the Gujarat Government and local authorities to provide all possible assistance to those affected."

Local officials said that the fire had spread quickly because of the material used in the roof. </s> Fire engulfed the third and fourth floor of Takshashila Centre in Surat, Gujarat. At least 20 people have been killed in the incident.

At least 22 students were killed and several others injured in a fire at a coaching centre in Sarthana area of Surat in Gujarat. The coaching centre was located on the third and fourth floors of the Takshashila Complex.

Students, mostly teenagers, died "either due to suffocation or jumping off from the complex", the deputy CM said. "We have ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident. We will not spare those found guilty," Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said.

Horrifying visuals of the fire showed kids falling off the windows.

Warning: The following visuals are disturbing.

Sarthana jakatnaka takshashila apartment maa lagi aag #Surat pic.twitter.com/X6ah57bdC3 RJ VEER (@rjVEERindia) May 24, 2019

CAUSE OF FIRE

An initial investigation suggests the fire was caused by a short-circuit. According to a fire official, flames started from the ground floor and reached the top floor, forcing some students to take shelter on the terrace which was covered.

"Lot of smoke accumulated on the top floor where there were AC compressors and tyres which too caught fire. There was no escape route available for the students who got trapped on the top floors. The fire was doused in one hour. There were no safety equipment installed in the building," a fire official told the media.

Coaching classes at the centre were run in a shade built on the top floor of the building, Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel said, adding that they "will check if the construction was illegal".

RESCUE OPERATIONS

The fire official said that 19 fire tenders and two hydraulic platforms were pressed into service to douse the fire. It took an hour to contain the blaze.

Eye-witnesses claimed that there were around 50 students in the complex when the fire started.

"Around 10 students on fourth and third floor jumped off to the ground to save themselves from fire and smoke," said a fire official.

Locals helped in the rescue operation to save the stranded students and other occupants of the building.

Heartbreaking Video

Massive Fire at ine commercial Complex , Named

in surat's #sarthana Area .

Many Students were stuck.

A Brave man tried to rescue the Girls.

Pray &Hope for No big Injuries. #Surat #suratFire pic.twitter.com/h9XBWWVeui Hitesh Pandya (@Hiteshpandya21) May 24, 2019

CM OFFICE ORDERS INVESTIGATION

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has ordered an investigation into the incident. The chief minister has also declared financial help of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of children who died in this incident, an official statement from the CM office said.

Later in the day, Vijay Rupani visited the hospital to meet those injured in fire. "I am told that due to fire in the staircase, several people jumped from the fourth floor of the building to escape. Have ordered enquiry".

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani visits hospital to meet those injured in fire at coaching centre in Surat; says, "I'm told that due to fire in the staircase, several people jumped from the 4th floor of the building to escape. Have ordered enquiry". 20 people have died in the incident pic.twitter.com/h27hRa2Iav ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2019

Meanwhile, municipal authorities in Ahmedabad ordered closure of all coaching classes till further orders to check whether they follow fire safety norms.

PM NARENDRA MODI EXPRESSES ANGUISH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep anguish over the incident and directed authorities to provide all possible help."Extremely anguished by the fire tragedy in Surat. My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Have asked the Gujarat Government and local authorities to provide all possible assistance to those affected," PM Narendra Modi tweeted.

Extremely anguished by the fire tragedy in Surat. My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Have asked the Gujarat Government and local authorities to provide all possible assistance to those affected. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 24, 2019

Home Minister Rajnath Singh also reacted on the deadly fire. "Deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives due to fire in Surat. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Rajnath Singh said in a tweet.

BJP chief Amit Shah also expressed his grief on the tragedy and asked BJP workers to provide all possible assistance.

"Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire accident in Surat, Gujarat. My condolences with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured. I urge our karyakartas of BJP Surat unit to assist the people in need," Amit Shah said in his tweet.

Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire accident in Surat, Gujarat. My condolences with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured. I urge our karyakartas of BJP Surat unit to assist the people in need. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 24, 2019

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted to express anguish on the incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Read | How a fire in 1803 turned Bombay into Mumbai of today </s> At least 17 people have died in a fire that broke out at a hotel in the heart of the Indian capital New Delhi, officials say.

The fire broke out early on Tuesday at the five-storey Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh, an area popular with budget tourists that has several hotels and markets.

A woman and a child, who were among the victims, were killed when they tried jumping from a window to escape the fire.

News reports said there were about 150 people asleep in the 65-room hotel when the blaze broke out.

"A total of 17 people have died and two are injured, still at hospitals," said senior fire services official Vipin Kental, who added that the blaze had been brought under control.

"The fire broke out from the top floors, likely due to an electric short-circuit. Since it was early morning, most of the victims were sleeping and died due to suffocation," Kental said.

Mobile phone videos recorded by witnesses showed huge flames on the terrace of the building. A person was seen dangling from the terrace and then jumping off.

Kental said the hotel was operating a restaurant from the top floor with inflammable fibre-glass sheets, that violated fire safety norms.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said there would be strict actions against those responsible for the incident and ordered a probe.

"Magistrate enquiry ordered. Visible violations of building by laws, building constructed six storeys including one temporary floor instead of permissible 4 floors. Ordered fire inspection of buildings in the area," Jain tweeted.

Deadly fires are common in India and are often made worse by poor safety measures and a lack of fire escapes.

The fires are often caused by substandard or ageing electrical material.

In December, a major fire at a government-run hospital in Mumbai killed 10 people and injured over 130 others.

Officials said the hospital had not complied with regulations in a recent fire safety audit. </s> NEW DELHI - At least 17 people died when a fire ripped through a budget hotel in Delhi on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch a safety check of other buildings in the vicinity.

Victims included a woman and a child who jumped from a window to escape the blaze that broke out before dawn at the budget Hotel Arpit Palace.

Images showed flames and thick smoke billowing out of the top floor of the hotel, located in a congested part of the Indian capital.

Guests at the hotel, popular with budget and business travellers, were unable to use corridors to escape because of wooden panelling, according to a fire officer.

Delhi home minister Satyendra Jain told reporters that rules were flouted to construct extra floors, with a terrace being used as an open-air restaurant.

He also directed the fire department to inspect other buildings in the congested area and file a report within a week.

Three Myanmar citizens staying at the hotel were missing, the NDTV news network reported.

Most of the guests were sleeping at the time the fire broke out and suffocated to death.

Four people were injured in the incident.

It is estimated around 120 people were inside the hotel -- built around 25 years ago -- when the fire started.

"We have confirmed with hospital authorities the toll is now 17 including a child," Sunil Choudhary, a senior fire brigade official, told AFP.

G.C. Misra, Delhi fire services director, said the blaze had been brought under control and that 35 people were rescued by firefighters in an operation lasting several hours and involving at least 25 fire engines.

"There was wooden panelling on corridors because of which people could not use corridors to evacuate," another fire officer told reporters.

Police said they were investigating the cause, and a judicial probe has been ordered into the latest disaster to raise concerns over fire safety in India.

The hotel is in the Karol Bagh district, a busy commercial centre crisscrossed by narrow alleys where electric wires dangle overhead.

The area, which houses hundreds of hotels, shops and offices, is packed with tourists and shoppers.

Three members of an extended family were among the dead. They were part of a group of 13 from southern Kerala state who had come to Delhi for a wedding.

Fires are common across India because of poor safety standards and lax enforcement of regulations.

Activists say builders and landlords often amend building plans to add space and ignore safety norms to save costs.

Many commercial establishments in the city lack emergency exits or fire fighting equipment.

Jain said hotels and similar establishments were not supposed to extend beyond four floors in that area.

"This hotel had been built up to six floors. It's gross negligence on the part of the officers who allowed the extra floors to be built," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life in a statement posted on Twitter.

Building fires are particularly frequent in big Indian cities where millions live in cramped and dilapidated properties.

In December, eight people were killed when a fire engulfed a hospital in Mumbai. In 2017, 14 people were killed, also in Mumbai, when a huge blaze roared through a popular restaurant. </s> New Delhi — Three staff at an Indian hospital have been suspended after a deadly blaze in the intensive care unit, authorities said yesterday, as the toll from the disaster rose to 22.

Fire broke out on Monday night in the dialysis ward of the hospital in eastern Odisha state before quickly spreading to other floors, killing 19 seriously ill patients who were unable to flee the blaze.

Another patient died in hospital yesterday after being rescued from the burning building, said police inspector Sharat Kumar Sahu.

“The toll is now 22 as one more person has succumbed to his injuries,” he told AFP.

“We can also confirm that three mid-level hospital staff have been suspended prima facie (for) negligence.”

About 40 critically ill patients were in the ICU of the SUM hospital in state capital Bhubaneswar when the fire broke out.

In all more than 100 were rescued by firefighters who smashed windows to get them out of the burning building.

“Some patients were evacuated by breaking a window on the first floor and then they were lowered to the ground floor. And some of them were evacuated through the adjoining operation theatre which was empty at that time,” said Odisha’s health secretary Arti Ahuja.

“There are about 106 people who are (now) in different private and government hospitals,” she told the NDTV news channel.

In a separate incident, two people died early yesterday morning when a high-rise luxury apartment block in the western city of Mumbai caught fire.

Firefighters said 11 people had to be rescued from the blaze and two died of asphyxiation after they became trapped in the stairwell. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

Such disasters are relatively common in India, partly because of poor safety standards.

In 2011 more than 90 patients were killed in the eastern city of Kolkata when a fire raged through a private hospital, trapping many people inside the building.

Ahuja said the hospital in Odisha had been sealed off and a detailed inquiry would be carried out to establish the cause of the disaster.

Local television stations showed images of firefighters wearing masks smashing glass panes to enter the building.

Police inspector Sahu said more than 100 firefighters had battled the blaze for around five hours until it was brought under control.

Most of the critical patients were on ventilators and died in the blaze, he said.

The state’s chief minister Naveen Patnaik said yesterday that he had visited the evacuated patients in hospital and ordered an inquiry into what he called a “tragic incident”.

A government relief fund would bear the cost of their treatment, he said on Twitter. — Aljazeera. </s> At least 19 killed in deadly India hospital fire

At least 19 people were killed Monday when a fire broke out at a leading private hospital in an eastern Indian city, police said, with officials warning the death toll could rise.

More than 40 critically ill patients were trapped in an intensive care ward by the blaze, which is believed to have been triggered by an electric short circuit on the second floor of the SUM hospital building in Bhubaneswar, the capital of coastal Odisha state.

“We can confirm 19 deaths in the incident,” Bhubaneswar police commissioner Yogesh Khurania told AFP.

“More than 100 patients have been shifted to other hospitals. Many of them are critical and the death toll may rise further,” he said.

Khurania said initial reports suggested that most of the victims had died due to smoke inhalation, with toxic smoke filling the entire floor of the building and hampering rescue efforts.

Local television stations showed images of fire fighters wearing masks smashing glass panes to enter the building as they struggled to save patients from suffocating at the 1000-bed hospital.

Sharat Kumar Sahu, a police officer at the site of the blaze, told AFP that the fire started in the dialysis ward in the four story building and quickly spread to the intensive care unit.

Most of the critical patients were on ventilators and died in the blaze, he said.

Sahu added that more than 100 fire fighters had battled the fire — which started at around 7:30 pm (1400 GMT) — for some five hours until it was brought under control.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter it was a “mind-numbing” tragedy, expressing his grief over the loss of life and promising to help the injured.

More than 90 patients were killed at a private hospital in eastern Kolkata city in 2011 after a fire raged through the premier hospital, trapping many patients inside the building.

Most of the victims died due to inhaling toxic gases, autopsy reports later revealed.

Sixteen officials from the AMRI hospital are facing trial in court on charges of culpable homicide, violating safety rules and negligence. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption A victim of the fire is brought to a hospital in San Jose Pinula

Nineteen teenage girls have died in a blaze at a children's care home in Guatemala, officials say.

About 25 other people were injured in the fire at the Virgen de Asuncion shelter in San Jose Pinula, about 25km (15 miles) south-east of the capital, Guatemala City.

Police said the blaze may have been started by some of the residents.

On Tuesday, police officers intervened after a riot broke out at the home. About 60 children escaped.

Some alleged they had been mistreated or sexually abused.

'Over-capacity'

Oscar Franco, a spokesman for the volunteer firefighters, told local media: "At least 25 people were injured and transferred to hospitals and we have confirmed 19 bodies."

All those who died were aged between 14 and 17.

The fire ripped through the facility in minutes.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Anxious relatives gathered outside the shelter

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Following the fire, police secured the site, which had previously seen a riot

Nery Ramos, the head of Guatemala's national police, said the fire was started by a group of young people at the shelter.

Firefighters battled to contain the flames as desperate family members arrived at the scene to try to find their loved ones.

After the blaze, images showed burned bodies covered by blankets lying in one of the blackened rooms.

The children who fled on the eve of the fire said it was due to poor conditions and mistreatment following the riot, which left the facility damaged.

The UN children's fund in Guatemala said on Twitter it "condemns the tragedy", adding: "These children and adolescents must be protected".

Local reports say the capacity of the home is 400, but that many more children were living there at the time.

The shelter takes in children up to the age of 18 who have suffered abuse or trafficking, or have been abandoned.

But local media say the shelter was also functioning as a juvenile detention centre, to which judges were sending adolescents involved in criminal cases.

A deadly fire at a children's home in Mexico in 2009 left 49 dead. </s> A massive fire engulfed a hotel in central Delhi's congested Karol Bagh area in the early hours of Tuesday, killing 17 people, including two people who jumped off the building in a desperate bid to save themselves, officials said.

IMAGE: A view of charred remains on the rooftop of Karol Bagh's Hotel Arpit Palace where a massive fire broke out, in New Delhi.

The deceased included three Myanmar nationals and an Indian Revenue Service officer, Suresh Kumar, 52.

Two staffers of hotel Arpit Palace also died. Kumar and the hotel cook, Tara Chand, jumped off the building in a desperate bid to escape but died.

A 33-year-old Myanmar national, Chan Chan, also jumped off the over 25-year-old structure but survived with a fracture in her leg.

Prime facie, the cause of the fire was suspected to be a short-circuit, the police and fire officials said.

According to hospital authorities at least four others were injured. However, the police said only one other person was injured.

The police said that out of 17 people killed, 15 have been identified. Autopsy was conducted on five bodies which were handed over to their families. Initially, the fire officials said a child had died in the blaze but later the police said it was the body of an adult male victim which had charred and shrunk beyond recognition.

IMAGE: A massive fire broke out at Hotel Arpit Palace in Delhi's Karol Bagh.

According to a statement issued by the Kerala government, three of the deceased belonged to the state and three others were from Tamil Nadu.

The police said one victim belonged to Gujarat.

In a late evening development, the police arrested hotel's general manager Rajender and manager Vikas on the charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

"A case has been registered against the two and the hotel owner who is absconding since the incident," DCP (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa told reporters.

According to the fire department, they received a call at around 4.35 am about the incident following which 24 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

It took nearly four hours for them to douse the fire that had swept through all the floors of the five-storey building which had a terrace kitchen in violation of rules. Flames resurfaced by noon, but were later doused.

Dilip Trivedi, 58, a resident of Ahmedabad who came to Delhi for a business deal, had a miraculous escape.

"At around 4 am, I heard cries of people shouting for help. When I opened my door, I saw very dense smoke in the corridor area. Then I took my bag and rushed downstairs," said Trivedi who was occupying a room on the first floor of the hotel.

IMAGE: A massive fire breaks out in Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh area in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Bhupendra Rajput, an eyewitness who helped in rescue operation, said, "We were inside my room at a hotel nearby the incident happened. People were shouting for help and we immediately rushed to the spot."

Different agencies pointed out several violations on the part of the hotel's management, including closure of the emergency exit gates at the time of fire, which trapped the victims inside the establishment.

The hotel was first granted a licence in October 2005 and was renewed every year. The last renewal was done on May 25, 2018 and was valid till March 31, said an official of North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

IMAGE: According to eyewitnesses, most deaths were caused due to suffocation.

"The stamped happened as the stairs were narrow. We pulled them out and helped clear the way for other," Rajput said.

The roads were blocked near the spot due to which the fire tenders took time to reach there. The first tender that reached the spot did not have adequate water. If that fire tender had enough water, it would have taken less time to control it, Rajput added.

Several politicians, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sheila Dikshit and state Bharatiya Janata Party president Manoj Tiwari, visited the spot to take the stock of the situation.

IMAGE: A fireman looks out of a window of the hotel where a fire broke out in New Delhi.

According to Alphons, the emergency exit of the hotel was 'too narrow' and also locked.

The Delhi government ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and announced Rs 5 lakh for the next of those killed in the fire.

IMAGE: NDRF and police officials investigate after a massive fire broke out at Karol Bagh's Arpit Palace hotel.

Following the incident, the Aam Aadmi Party government also cancelled an event that was to be held on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the AAP dispensation.

'Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire at Karol Bagh in Delhi. I convey my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,' he tweeted.

WATCH: Fire occurred due to ducting which spread to hotel rooms: Balan Mani, VP, Delhi Hotel Association

The hotel had a canopy on its terrace with chairs and tables laid out, indicating that there was an open restaurant operating there, fire officials said, adding that there was wooden panelling in the rooms that could have helped the fire spread.

It was a nightmare without end, said Somshekhar, who had come to Delhi from Kerala with his family to attend a wedding Ghaziabad and was staying in the hotel.

He lost three members of his family.

IMAGE: Survivors leave with their belongings from Karol Baghs Hotel Arpit Palace.

They were residents of Ernakulam district in Kerala and were getting ready to go to Haridwar when the fire started.

"Ten of us were rescued by police and fire teams. We had booked four rooms in the hotel. We were all ready early morning to go to Haridwar when suddenly there was a power cut. They switched on the generator and there was a heavy smoke," he said.

IMAGE: A woman cries as she cannot find her relative who was staying in the hotel where the fire broke out.

His sister Jayashree alerted them to the smoke and rushed out to check what was happening, he said. She was later found dead.

IMAGE: Family members of the victims who died during Hotel Arpit Palace fire accident, wait outside the mortuary at RML hospital in New Delhi.

"The entire pathway was full of smoke. My mother and brother were along with my sister at the time.

"I immediately came to the room and opened the room for fresh air and we managed to escape. We were at the second floor of the hotel," he said. </s> Firefighters in Guatemala say that at least 19 people have died in a blaze at a children's care home about 25km (15 miles) south-east of the capital, Guatemala City.

About 25 others were injured in the fire at the Virgen de Asuncion shelter in San Jose Pinula.

It is unclear what caused the blaze.

On Tuesday, police intervened after a riot broke out at the home. About 60 children escaped. Some allege they have been mistreated or sexually abused.

Oscar Franco, a spokesman for the volunteer firefighters, told local media: "At least 25 people were injured and transferred to hospitals and we have confirmed 19 bodies."

One police officer said the fire had started with burning mattresses and that the other minors were being taken to safety.

Anxious relatives have gathered outside the shelter.

The children who fled on the eve of the fire said it was due to poor conditions and mistreatment following the riot, which left the facility damaged.

Local reports say the capacity of the home is 400, but that many more children were living there at the time.

The shelter takes in children up to the age of 18 who have suffered abuse or trafficking, or have been abandoned.

But local media say the shelter was also functioning as a juvenile detention centre, to which judges were sending adolescents involved in criminal cases.
Twenty children die in a fire in Surat, India.