A fire at a private hospital in southern India has killed at least six people and injured more than 20, police said Friday.
Building fires occur frequently in India due to lack of fire extinguishing equipment and routine disregard for safety regulations.
The fire broke out late Thursday night in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, and the cause is still under investigation.
All six victims were found unconscious in a lift at a hospital in Dindigul, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
Police chief A. Pradeep told AFP that about 30 people were injured, but all were in “stable condition”.
The Times of India reported that the fire started in the reception area on the first floor and quickly spread to other floors.
The fire comes just weeks after a fire at a hospital in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh killed 10 newborns.
A similar fire broke out at a children’s hospital in New Delhi earlier this year, killing six infants.
At least 27 people, including several children, were killed in May when a fire broke out in a crowded amusement park arcade in the western state of Gujarat.
