At least 19 people, mostly students died after a huge blaze broke out on the top floors of a building housing a coaching center in the western Indian city of Surat. Some were forced to jump several stories to flee the fire.
The fire broke out at the coaching center on Friday afternoon. Some 60 people were inside the building when the fire started.
The commercial building did not have fire exits, while its fourth floor of the Takshashila Arcade center, where the coaching class has been held, was an illegal addition altogether, a local lawmaker told NDTV.
Footage from the scene a thick plume of smoke and open fire emitting from the building. At least 10 students were trapped by the blaze on the third and fourth floors of the building and were forced to jump in a desperate attempt to escape the flames.
The fire was eventually extinguished by the emergency crews, but at least 19 people, including children, died in the incident. Some 20 people have been injured.
“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, a local medical officer, told AFP.
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