"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. Sapthaley added that 50 or 60 people were inside the coaching institute on the top floor of the building when the blaze began. 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. Local officials said that the fire had spread quickly because of the material used in the roof.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 24, 2019 13:52 UTC