Six children among 17 killed in building fire in India

At least 17 people have died in a building fire in a city in south-central India.

The blaze broke out on Sunday on the ground floor of the building in the city of Hyderabad, in Telangana state, before spreading to the upper floors.

The casualties included six children under five years old.

About a dozen firefighting vehicles were involved in the operation, the Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence Department said in a statement.

India's Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, who visited the site, told local media a preliminary inquiry indicated a short circuit might have led to the fire.