Karachi, Pakistan, hotel fire kills 11

KARACHI, Pakistan, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Eleven people died, and 75 were injured, in a fire early Monday at the Regent Plaza Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, fire officials said.

Firefighters contained the fire after three hours.

Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, speaking at the scene, said the cause was not determined but "There was no fire exit for people to escape from, and no fire alarms were working."

He added that no senior hotel personnel were present when the fire broke out and heavy smoke prevented quick rescues.

Dr. Seemin Jamali, chief of the emergency room at nearby Jinnah Hospital, said all the fatalities were caused by smoke inhalation, and that some of the injuries involved broken bones from people jumping from the six-story building. The four-star hotel is regarded as a Karachi landmark and among the city's most popular hotels, CNN reported.

The fire broke out in the kitchen area and spread quickly throughout the building, the fourth major fire in Karachi in the past two weeks.