At least 19 students die in India fire: medical officer
At least 19 students -- most of them female -- died Friday in a fire at
an Indian building housing a college, officials said, as images showed
people jumping to escape the blaze.
"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.
Images showed blazing orange flames and black smoke billowing out of the building.
Sapthaley added that when the blaze began 50 or 60 people were inside
the coaching institute on the top floor of the building, which is
several storeys high.
The cause was not yet known.
"The toll has jumped to 19 and includes 16 females. Sixteen persons died
because of burns and three others from injuries after they jumped,"
Jayesh M Patel, medical officer at Surat Municipal Institute of Medical
Education and Research, told AFP.
Officials had initially given a toll of at least 15 dead.
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.
"My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover
quickly. Have asked the Gujarat Government and local authorities to
provide all possible assistance to those affected."
Local officials said that the fire spread quickly because of the material used in the roof.
It started Friday afternoon when classes were packed, mostly with teenagers.
Local media reports said the toll could still rise further as many students were undergoing treatment at local hospitals.
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