Most of the victim­s were sleepi­ng when the fire broke out, media report­sINDIA: 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. Frequent raids by civic authorities to enforce building codes, fire safety measures and evacuation procedures have failed to curb violations in a rapidly expanding city of more than 18 million people. Most of the victims were sleeping when the fire broke out, believed to have been caused by a short circuit, media said. Those staying in the hotel included a group of tourists from Myanmar, broadcaster NDTV said, adding that authorities were trying to ascertain their whereabouts. Jain said hotel guests tried to flee through the hotel’s narrow corridors, paneled in wood.

Source: The Express Tribune February 12, 2019 05:39 UTC