At Least 17 Killed in India Building Fire

 People watch as fire officials conduct rescue operations at a building following a fire in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP)
People watch as fire officials conduct rescue operations at a building following a fire in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP)
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At Least 17 Killed in India Building Fire

 People watch as fire officials conduct rescue operations at a building following a fire in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP)
People watch as fire officials conduct rescue operations at a building following a fire in Hyderabad, India, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP)

At least 17 people died after a fire ripped through a building in the Indian city of Hyderabad, local officials said Sunday.  

The large blaze broke out early Sunday morning in a three-storey building which houses a jewellery store.  

A statement from the fire disaster response emergency and civil defense department in southern Telangana state, where Hyderabad is located, said they had received the call for help just after 6 am local time (00:30 GMT).  

"The fire broke out on the ground floor and spread to the upper floors. Firefighting, search & rescue operations were carried out simultaneously," it said.

The statement also listed the names of 17 individuals who lost their lives.  

"The suspected cause of the fire is under investigation," it said.  

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his "deep grief" over the loss of life and announced compensation of 200,000 rupees (around $2,300) to the next of kin of each victim.

"Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana," Modi said in a statement released by his office.  

"Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon."  

Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations.  

Last month, a fierce fire broke out in a hotel in Kolkata, killing at least 15 people. Some people clambered out of windows and onto the rooftop to escape.  

And last year, least 24 people died after a fire broke out at a packed amusement park arcade in the western state of Gujarat.



Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2025. Sputnik/Sergei Karpukhin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, “assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.”

Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations.”

Following the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.

Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency’s request for cooperation "case by case,” based on Iran’s interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's “security” concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. “The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious,” he said.

"The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," he added.

"For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined."

He also reiterated Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium on its soil. US President Donald Trump has insisted that cannot happen.

Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country’s nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.