At least 14 people died and several others have been injured, when a major fire broke out in a multi-storied building in Jharkhand's Dhanbad today. "The number of dead is 14 at present and 11 people are under treatment. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained," Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India. Among those who died are 10 women and three children, reported PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "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".
Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the district administration is working on an emergency basis and the injured are being treated.
"The death of people due to the fire in Dhanbad is extremely heart-wrenching. The district administration is working on a war footing and treatment is being provided to the injured. I am personally monitoring it," Mr Soren said in a Hindi tweet.
The blaze erupted late in the evening at Ashirwad Tower – a 13-storied building in Joraphatak, a busy area in the city that's around 160 km from state capital Ranchi. Around 40 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, reported PTI, quoting unnamed officials.
Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said eight or 10 people have been rescued. They have sustained serious burns, he said.
"The injured are being sent to the Medical College. The rescue work is over. But we have not taken a proper headcount yet. This will be done jointly by the police and the fire department personnel," he added.
"Our immediate focus was to get the people out. Now we are doing a final combing of the area to ensure that no one is left behind," he added.
Mr Singh, who is monitoring the rescue operation along with senior police officers, said it is also not clear how the fire started. "The locals said there was some puja in progress, but all this has to be confirmed," he said.
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