JAKARTA - At least 14 people including three children died in a fire at an apartment complex in eastern India's Jharkhand State, where they gathered to attend the wedding, police said.
Twelve people suffered severe burns from about 18 people who were rescued at Menara Ashirwad, Dhanbad City on Tuesday night. It is feared that there are still many people trapped in the building.
Police said many injured were taken to city government hospitals.
"Fourteen people were killed and 12 others injured in the fire. Some people were in the apartment attending weddings," police chief Sanjiv Kumar told The National News on February 1.
"The cause of the fire is not yet known. We focus on rescue. The injured have been transferred to the nearest hospital," he continued.
It took nearly two hours and a dozen firefighters to extinguish the fire. In television, several police were seen evacuating residents, including children from the building to a safe place.
Local news reports said the blaze broke out on the fourth floor of the apartment, as people gathered for wedding celebrations.
Several residents reportedly tried to jump out of windows to save themselves.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims. He announced compensation of 200,000 rupees (Rp36,631,380) to the families of the dead and 50,000 rupees (Rp 9,157,845) for those injured.
"Very sad about the loss of life due to the fire in Dhanbad. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. Hopefully the injured will recover soon," tweeted PM Modi's office.
Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in Dhanbad. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 31, 2023
It is known, it was the tragedy of the second fire in the city in less than a week.
Earlier, at least five people died after a fire broke out in a warehouse in a private hospital on Saturday.
India has poor fire safety records and general incidents across the country, where weak law enforcement of buildings has led to many tragedys.
Nearly 10,000 people died in fire accidents across the country in 2020, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, making it one of the country's biggest public safety hazards.
Massive fire at Ashirwad Tower, Joraphatak, Dhanbad. 20+ people have succumbed to burn & suffocation, including children, women & older people. This place is only a KM away from my residence. pic.twitter.com/ZSwwVXLCWt
— Rounak Surolia 🇮🇳 (@rounak_surolia) January 31, 2023
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