Four young children were among 27 people killed when a fire in India ripped through a crowded amusement park, police said, as rescuers scoured the site the morning after the blaze.
Survivors reported having to kick down doors and leap out of windows to escape the inferno that swept through a centre packed full of young people enjoying games including bowling, Indian media reported.
Lines of bodies draped in white cloths were laid out before being taken away from the centre in Rajkot, a city in the western state of Gujarat.
The four children reported dead were all aged under 12, said police, who warned that many of the corpses were so badly burned it was difficult to identify them.
More than 300 people were enjoying the summer holiday weekend in the two-storey structure at the TRP amusement and theme park when the blaze broke out on Saturday evening, Rajkot fire officer Ilesh Kher told reporters on the night of the fire.
"People got trapped as a temporary structure at the facility collapsed near the entrance, making it difficult for the people to come out," he said.
"The flames spread rapidly because of the structure's flammable material," he added.
'Tried to escape'
"We have confirmed the death of 27 persons in the fire," senior police officer Radhika Bharai told reporters overnight, updating an earlier toll of 24.
Mr Bharai added: "The bodies are charred beyond recognition and hence their identification is difficult."
Other officers warned the toll may rise further.
They added that at least 70 people, including children, were on the first floor when the fire broke out.
Officials said at least four people have been detained for questioning.
Gujarat is the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said he was "extremely distressed by the fire", in a post on social media.
Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations.
Fire kills six newborns at hospital in New Delhi
Meanwhile, six newborns have died in a fire at a children's hospital in New Delhi, local authorities said today.
Television footage showed firefighters attempting to douse the fire which broke out late last night and engulfed the hospital in the eastern part of the city.
The fire department told news agency ANI that six more children were rescued and taken to a different hospital, with one on a ventilator.
The owner of the hospital fled, Delhi police said.
