14 Dead In Massive Fire At Multi-Storey Building In Jharkhand's Dhanbad

At least 14 people died and several others have been injured, when a major fire broke out in a multi-storied building in Jharkhand's Dhanbad today. Many people got trapped in the building, reports say. The exact number of people who died or suffered injuries is yet to be ascertained.

The blaze erupted late in the evening at Ashirwad Tower – a 13-storied building in Joraphatak, a busy area in the city that's around 160 km from state capital Ranchi.
 
Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said eight or 10 people have already been rescued. They have sustained serious burns, he said.

"The injured are being sent to the Medical College. The rescue work is over. But we have not taken a proper headcount yet. This will be done jointly by the police and the fire department personnel," he added.

"Our immediate focus was to get the people out. Now we are doing a final combing of the area to ensure that no one is left behind," he added.

Mr Singh, who is monitoring the rescue operation along with senior police officers, said it is also not clear how the fire started.

"The locals said there was some puja in progress, but all this has to be confirmed," he said.