Fire at budget hotel in Delhi kills 17

At least 17 people died when a fire ripped through a budget hotel in Delhi yesterday, 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.