India, March 19 -- Nine people, including two men, four women, and three children, were killed after a fire broke out in a residential building in southwest Delhi's Palam area on Wednesday morning, officials said.

According to police, the incident occurred around 7 am in Sadh Nagar, Palam Colony, after a fire erupted in a cloth and cosmetics shop operating on the lower floors of the building. The basement, ground, and first floors housed commercial stock, while the family resided on the upper floors.

A total of 12 people were rescued from the building. Of these, nine were declared dead, while three others sustained critical injuries and are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

A senior fire department official said that several members ...