New Delhi: Four people died and two others were injured after a fire broke out at a shoe manufacturing factory in Phase 1 of the Mangolpuri Industrial Area in northwest Delhi on Friday night, officials said. The fire was reported at around 9.30 pm, and firefighters and police rushed to the spot and began rescue operations.

Six people were found unconscious inside the factory and rescued. They were taken to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri, where four were declared dead on arrival, while the other two are undergoing treatment, the Times of India reported. Around 20 fire tenders were sent to the spot, according to the Delhi Fire Service, and the blaze was brought under control after several hours.

Fire began in the basement, smoke rose through the building

Fire officer ADO Paras Kumar said the fire originated in the basement of the factory, which manufactured and stored footwear, and that firefighters confined the blaze to the basement. "Due to the heavy smoke, we recovered one person from the third-floor staircase and rescued five others from the fourth floor. The fire has been completely extinguished, and the cooling-down process is currently underway," Kumar told reporters.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Vikram Singh said the factory owner has been summoned in connection with the incident, and police are questioning the contractor and workers to establish how many labourers were present when the fire broke out. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and the investigation is underway, he said. The dead have not been publicly identified in official statements so far.

Source: Times of India via 7Globe