A fire broke out Friday night in a shoe factory in Delhi’s Mangolpuri industrial area, killing four people and injuring two others, police said.
Police officials said they rescued six people from the plant in an unconscious state, transporting them to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri. Four were declared dead at the hospital, while the other two are undergoing treatment, the officials reported.
Preliminary investigations by fire officials indicated the blaze began in the basement of the footwear manufacturing unit. Heavy smoke quickly spread through the building, trapping workers on the upper floors as the fire accelerated.
Police are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire, the chief of Delhi’s fire department said.
Witnesses who were present at the factory before the fire began described a sudden rush of heat and smoke that forced workers to flee the building. One eyewitness, quoted by Xinhua, said the smoke made it impossible to see and escape.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation has announced that it will review the factory’s safety protocols, and the fire department plans to inspect other nearby industrial units for potential hazards. Officials have not yet confirmed whether an electrical fault or a cooking accident sparked the blaze. As of now, the investigation remains ongoing, with authorities urging the public to report any additional information to help speed up the inquiry.
