At the scene of New York apartment fire (Photo: Reuters)

Bill de Blasio, the New York mayor, told reporters at the scene that it was the deadliest fire in the city in more than a quarter-century. The cause of the fire was not yet clear.

Elsewhere, 15 people have been confirmed dead after a major fire broke out late on Thursday at a building in Kamala Mills Compound in Mumbai, India.  Most of the victims were women, who were attending a birthday party in the building’s rooftop restaurant.