14 SUFFER GRISLY DEATH IN DHANBAD HIGH-RISE FIRE

A ghastly fire tragedy rocked Dhanbad in Jharkhand on February 1, where 14 people were killed in a blaze on the second floor of a multi-storey building ironically named “Ashirwad”. "The number of dead is 14 at present and 11 people are under treatment. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained," Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India. Ten women and three children were among those who died, reported PTI.

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. Around 40 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, reported PTI, quoting unnamed officials.

Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said “Eight or ten people have been rescued. They have sustained serious burns,”  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in Dhanbad. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon": PM

Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the district administration was working on an emergency basis and the injured were being treated.

"The death of people due to the fire in Dhanbad is extremely heart-wrenching. The district administration is working on a war footing and treatment is being provided to the injured. I am personally monitoring it," Mr Soren said in a Hindi tweet.