Fire in New Delhi's Malviya Nagar leaves several dead

A fire in a building in New Delhi's south killed at least 21 people and injured several others on Wednesday, police said.The blaze broke out in a building with a restaurant on the ground floor and hotel above in the densely populated Malviya Nagar neighborhood.

The police said more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals after eight fire engines were deployed.The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
"There was reportedly a restaurant operating on the ?ground floor ?of the building ... it ?is most likely that the fire was connected to ?that restaurant," local ‌administration official Jitendra Kumar told reporters.

Television images showed thick smoke billowing from the building as firefighters battled the flames.Some of the victims were foreign nationals who had traveled to India for medical treatment, local media reported.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the deaths and announced financial assistance of Rs 200,000 ($2,088, €1,798) for the families of those killed.