Global General
Death toll in Indian city fire reaches 24
(Xinhua/Agencies)
Updated: 2010-03-24 14:50
 |
Large Medium Small |
|
|
KOLKATA, India - Death toll from a massive fire at a high-rise building at the city center here has risen to 24 as police found more bodies early Wednesday morning in the badly burnt building.
Police said the toll could still rise as 20 people were still missing.
The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at the 5th floor of the Stephen Court, a historical building from the British colonial time in which many residential flats, offices and restaurants were seated.
It took nearly nine hours for 300 fire fighters with 40 fire tenders to put out the fire late Tuesday night.
Police said Tuesday that six people jumped to death while trying to escape from the inferno. Eighteen completely charred bodies were found later at the 5th and 6th floor of the building.
People complained that fire fighters arrived 45 minutes later after the fire broke out even though the fire department was located at the center of the city.
