Four injured as they jump from first floor of burning building in Delhi

New Delhi: Four people, including a toddler, were injured after they jumped from the first floor of a building in northeast Delhi's Gokal Puri area to escape a fire that broke out in the early hours of Sunday, officials said.

Eight people were rescued from the six-storey building that was engulfed in heavy smoke after two scooters and a motorcycle parked on the ground floor caught fire, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said.

The incident was reported around 2.30 am from a house in F block in the Chand Bagh area near Bhajanpura, an officer said.

Four people -- three women and a toddler -- jumped from the first floor of the building before the firefighters reached the spot, he said.

"They were identified as Nikhat (22), Rashida (50), Soni (25) and Ashif (2). All four were taken to Jag Pravesh Chand Hospital. They were discharged after first aid," the officer said.

Eight other residents, including children, trapped on the second, third and fourth floors, which were enveloped in thick smoke, were rescued safely, he added.

According to the officials, the building has a compact structure and this led to rapid smoke accumulation, making evacuation difficult for residents. Several firefighting units were pressed into service and the blaze was brought under control.

"The fire was doused by 3:50 am and the cooling operation is underway. An investigation is under way to ascertain the cause of the fire," the officer said.