Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) Ten workers were charred to death in a fire at a shoe factory in west Delhi, police said Thursday. Many more people are feared to be trapped in the debris of the three-floor factory.

The factory is in Udyog Nagar in Peeragarhi area in west Delhi. The fire broke out at 7.10 p.m. Wednesday. It was brought under control 12 hours later.

“Ten bodies have been pulled out of the debris so far. We fear there will be many more people buried under the debris,” a fire brigade official told IANS.

“It took almost 12 hours for firefighters to douse the flames. Twenty-five fire tenders were rushed to douse the flames. The fire was brought under control this morning, at around 7.50 a.m.,” said the official.

However fire brigade officials had to wait for the blazing hot debris to cool before they could begin rescue operations. They began rescue work at 2 p.m. Thursday.

“We are yet to identify the bodies. The fire brigade team is still there,” Deputy Commissioner of Police V. Renganathan said Thursday evening.

According to officials, the fire began on the third floor of the building, which was an open space, before it spread. There were 60-80 people working in the factory.

A grieving relative of one of the victims blamed the authorities for delay in the rescue operation. “The rescue work began very late. We had suggested that they should break the wall to rescue those trapped but the authorities took a long to take a decision and by that time it was too late,” she cried.