Fire tears through hotel in India

A massive fire raced through a hotel in northern India killing at least 10 people and injuring several others, police said Friday.

The fire broke out early Friday in a restaurant and spread to the hotel next door in Pratapgarh town of Uttar Pradesh state, said police superintendent Balikaran Singh Yadav.

Most of the hotel guests were asleep when the fire started at 3 a.m. Yadav says the cause of the fire was a short circuit.

"The fire spread through the hotel before people could raise an alarm," Yadav said. "Most guests were asleep and they could not escape."

Thirteen guests suffered burns and other injuries as they tried to get out of the four-story building. Nine people with serious burns were taken to hospitals in the nearby city of Allahabad.

A dozen people were rescued and the fire has been put out, police said.
 

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