INDIA: 15 Mourners Killed By Fire At Trans Day Of Remembrance Ceremony

Fifteen members of India's trans-identified hijra community were killed in a tent fire yesterday as they gathered to observer the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Members of Sangama and the Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum on Monday condemned the Delhi Government for not putting fire safety systems in place which, they said, led to the charring to death of 15 hijras in a fire at Nand Nagri in north-east Delhi on Sunday. The fire blazed through a makeshift tent where a large number of hijras had gathered to honour deceased friends. The incident created panic among community members who had gathered for the ceremony. Several others who tried to escape were also injured.