Nine people died after a fire broke out in a residential building in Delhi's Shahdara early Sunday morning, police said, adding that over a dozen people were rescued.
The incident took place in the Vivek Vihar area, with a call about the fire made at 3.48 am, according to the police.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officers said they received a call regarding the fire at 3.47 am, and a total of 14 fire tenders were sent till 5 am.
The officers added that the fire was brought under control by 6:25 am.
"Fire started in domestic articles and spread to six flats. Around 12-15 persons were rescued by DFS," a DFS spokesperson said.
He said that the fire was finally doused after 8 am.
"We searched the houses and found charred bodies. One body from the first floor, five bodies from the second floor and three from the staircase," the spokesperson added.
Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said, "On reaching the spot, fire was found in the flats situated on the second, third and fourth floors of the premises. Fire extinguishing operations rescued 10-15 persons from the building. Two of them had minor injuries and were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment."
DCP Meena added that the firefighting operation lasted more than five hours because many residents were trapped, and the building's layout, with flats at the back and front, made accessing all areas difficult.
Police said that their staff, along with the Station House Officer (SHO) and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), went to the spot.
Twelve fire tenders were at the spot, along with District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) staff, traffic officials, and local police.
Firefighters recovered nine bodies after extinguishing the blaze.
"Further enquiry and proceedings at the spot are in progress," DCP Meena said.
