At least 21 people have been killed and several others injured after a fire swept through a multistorey building in a crowded neighbourhood of the Indian capital, New Delhi, police said.

The blaze broke out on Wednesday in Malviya Nagar in the city’s south in a building that housed a restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel above.

The predominantly residential neighbourhood is popular with students and young professionals and is tightly packed with shops, eateries and small hotels.

Delhi police said the fire was brought under control with the help of eight fire engines, and that more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, and an investigation is under way. Images from the scene showed firefighters training hoses on the burning building as thick black smoke poured from windows.

Some people trapped inside were seen hanging from the windows and shouting for help as flames and smoke spread through parts of the structure.

Locals joined the emergency response, helping to evacuate people trapped inside and carrying some of the injured to safety before ambulances arrived. Some of the victims were foreign nationals who had travelled to India for medical treatment, local media reported.

New Delhi is a major hub for medical tourism, and many foreign patients stay in budget hotels and rented flats close to hospitals during their treatment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of those killed, his office said in a post on X.

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It added that the families of the dead would receive 200,000 rupees ($2,088) each in financial assistance.

Fires are common in India, where building regulations and safety codes are often poorly enforced.

Narrow stairways, blocked exits, faulty wiring and the lack of fire safety equipment in older and commercially converted buildings regularly contribute to deadly incidents in crowded urban areas like New Delhi.