At least ten people were killed in a fire that broke out in a shoe factory in west Delhi’s Peeragarhi industrial area on Thursday after they failed to find a single open exit, media reports said.
The cause of the fire is unknown yet, but witnesses said they saw flames spread from the first floor of the three-storey factory where the windows and doors of the building were locked and sealed, possibly to prevent pilfering of footwear and other goods.
However, some reports quoted officials saying that the fire most likely spread from the top floor. There were conflicting reports also on whether the the building had obtained the clearance of the fire department.
Around 80 people worked in the building, which met with is fourth fire disaster in recent years, according to reports. While ten charred bodies were recovered, ten more people were missing as per last information.
The fire which broke out on Wednesday evening could only be brought under control late on Thursday. It took several hours to cool down enough to let rescue workers start their work. Altogether 30 fire engines battled to tame the inferno for over 12 hours.
Expressing her condolences to the victims, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit ordered a inquiry into the incident and asked deputy commissioner (west) G S Meena to conduct a probe and submit the report within 15 days.