At least 18 people killed as fire sweeps through building in New Delhi

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A fire has swept through a building in a New Delhi neighbourhood, killing at least 18 people and injuring several others, news agency the Press Trust of India reported.

The building in the Malviya Nagar neighbourhood in the southern part of the city had a restaurant on the ground floor and residential units above.

Some of the victims were foreign nationals who had travelled to India for medical treatment, local media reported.

Some people were rescued from the fire in New Delhi (Manish Swarup/AP)

Fire crews rescued 37 people from the building, fire official Abhilash Malik said.

The fire was extinguished, but how it started was not immediately clear.

Four bodies were recovered from the site, said Jitendra Kumar, a senior administrative official.

People run for cover as a fire spreads in New Delhi (Manish Swarup/AP)

Images from the scene showed firefighters trying to douse the blaze as thick smoke billowed from the building.

Local residents also joined rescue efforts, helping evacuate people trapped inside and carrying some of the injured to safety.