At least 10 people were injured and nearly 300 rescued when a major fire broke out in a multistoried building housing several offices and shops in Kanpur.

Using ladders and ropes, firefighters rescued 300 people trapped inside the City Centre complex, District Magistrate Anurag Shrivastava said.

He said 10 people suffered minor injuries in the blaze, which broke out at around 1800 IST, and were admitted to hospitals.

Eight fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire which engulfed the entire sixth floor of the building.

The exact cause of the fire, which was extinguished after an hour, was not immediately known, the DM said, adding that a probe had been ordered into it.

The extent of damage caused by the fire was yet to be ascertained, he said.

The fire led to traffic snarl-ups on the busy mall road.