Fire in Karachi hotel kills 12

At least 12 people were killed and 80 injured when a fire erupted in a major hotel in the Pakistani city of Karachi, with rescue efforts being hampered by the lack of fire alarms and exits in the building.

At least 12 people were killed and 80 injured when a fire erupted in a major hotel in the Pakistani city of Karachi, with rescue efforts being hampered by the lack of fire alarms and exits in the building.

Pakistani volunteers help a foreigner to escape after a fire at the Regent Plaza Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday. A massive fire swept through the four-star hotel in the southern port city. (AP)

Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar told the media the air-conditioning system at Regent Plaza Hotel was not turned off by the management and smoke seeped into rooms through air-conditioning ducts while guests were asleep.

The absence of fire exits meant people trapped inside had to use bed-sheets and ladders to climb out of windows.

Aside from a local cricket team and cabin crew of the state-run Pakistan International Airlines, a number of foreigners were in the hotel at the time of the fire. Most of the foreigners were Chinese nationals. It is feared three Chinese nationals died in the fire.

Seemin Jamali, director of the nearby Jinnah Hospital where many of the casualties were taken, said most of the deaths occurred due to smoke inhalation. The injuries mostly occurred when people were fleeing from the burning building.

The fire, which is believed to have begun in the hotel’s kitchens, was extinguished within hours by the city fire department. However, smoke seeped into the upper floors of the hotel and caused most of the casualties, officials said.