Students of a coaching institute in northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar area on Thursday smashed windows, climbed down ropes and took the help of ladders in desperate attempts to escape a fire that broke out in the building housing it.
A call about the fire was received at 12.27 pm and 11 fire tenders were pressed into service, said Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg.
Garg told PTI that a few students suffered minor injuries while climbing down the building using ropes.
"There was no major causality. All students have been rescued. All are safe," he said.
A preliminary inquiry suggested that the fire started from an electricity metre board in the five-storey building, officials said.
According to the police, around 250 students were attending classes at the building -- Bhandari House -- at the time of the incident.
'As many as 61 students were taken to different hospitals for treatment. The site was inspected by police officials and a forensic team. Preliminary enquiry suggests that the fire spread in the building from electric metres installed at the ground floor of the building,' a statement from the police said.
Out of these 61 students, 50 have been discharged from hospitals and rest are undergoing treatment, police said.
A case has been registered at the Mukherjee Nagar police station and further investigation was underway, they said.
In a video shared by the fire department, its personnel could be seen rescuing people, mostly students, through the windows.
The panic-stricken students were seen climbing down from the top floor of the building with the help of ropes as smoke billowed out of the windows.
Ropes on the other side of the building were also used by the students to come out of the premises. Some of them were seen throwing down their bags and helping one another.
A large crowd gathered on the ground floor with many of them recording the incident on their mobile phones.
"The firefighting operation is over. No major injuries have been reported so far," Garg said later.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi said students on the third and fourth floors of the building escaped the fire by climbing down pipes and ropes during which they suffered blisters on their hands.
'No casualties have been reported till now. Two students suffered serious injuries and are being treated at Safdarjung Hospital. Their condition was stated to be stable. Around 20 students are being treated at Hindu Rao Hospital and 15 at Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital for minor injuries,' it said in a statement.
The MCD claimed that a short circuit in the electric metre on the ground floor of the building caused the fire.
A senior doctor at the Hindu Rao Hospital said the students who were brought to the facility were discharged after first aid.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described the incident as 'very unfortunate'.
'Some students have suffered minor injuries while trying to escape. Rest are safe. There is nothing to panic about. The fire has been brought under control by the fire department. The district administration is also present at the spot,' he said in a tweet.
Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari visited the spot and took stock of the situation.
Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa said the fire started from the electric metres of the building and the smoke spread to other floors.
'A coaching centre was operating on an upper floor of the building. Smoke coming out of the building caused panic. Students tried to rush out of the building through the windows and some of them suffered injuries. They were taken to hospitals and the fire has been brought under control,' she said.
Garg, in a tweet, said, 'Fire fighting operation is over. The fire started from an electric metre, the blaze was small but there was a lot of smoke. Because of that student got panicked. But once our team reached the spot, all were rescued.'
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, in a statement, said the reason for the fire was 'currently unknown'.
'According to on-ground team inspection the smoke triggered in the air conditioning unit on the fourth floor and not around the electricity metres. Police have barricaded the area and further investigation was underway,' it said.
Mukherjee Nagar is a coaching hub for government job aspirants.
