Deadly fire in Delhi claims 17 lives

A fire swept through a hotel in New Delhi early on Tuesday, killing 17 people, authorities in the Indian capital said, raising fresh questions about safety standards in poorly regulated budget hotels.

Eyewitnesses said the dead included a woman and a child who attempted to jump from a window to safety.

Officials said 35 people were rescued. Some were injured and have been taken to hospital.

Hotel Arpit Palace is located in Karol Bagh, an area popular with tourists for its budget hotels and shopping.

“Seventeen people are no more, they died because of suffocation, not fire,” said deputy fire chief Virendra Singh.

Most of the victims were sleeping when the fire broke out, believed to have been caused by a short circuit, media said.

The dead included a woman and a child who had tried to escape by jumping from a fifth-floor window of the 65-room hotel in the shopping district of Karol Bagh, some of which had been booked by a wedding party.

Fire accidents are not uncommon in Indian cities, where builders often flout safety regulations.

Many structures, both old and new, lack proper fire exits. In recent months, officials have shut down a number of shops and restaurants in some of Delhi's most exclusive neighbourhoods for not following fire safety measures.

Owners of commercial buildings have also been known to construct additional floors without the necessary permissions.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted his condolences.

Television showed pictures of flames leaping from the top floor. Those staying in the hotel included a group of tourists from Myanmar, media said, adding that authorities were trying to ascertain their whereabouts.

Authorities appeared to have been negligent in enforcing building laws in the surrounding area, Delhi’s urban development minister Satyendar Jain said.

“There is a clear case of negligence here,” he added.

Even though the law limits construction only to four floors, the hotel had a fifth floor, like some other nearby structures, Jain said, adding that a kitchen and dining area on its top floor constituted another violation.

Jain said hotel guests tried to flee through the hotel’s narrow corridors, panelled in wood. Some were unable to break through the windows of their rooms.