At least 50 People have died in a major fire that broke out in a building in central New Delhi, police have said.
Kishore Singh, a doctor in a government-run hospital there, said another (people were being treated for burns or smoke inhalation and were in a stable condition, Singh said.)
The assistant commissioner of police in the commercial hub of Sadar Bazar where the fire happened told AFP: “Most who’ve died were sleeping when the fire broke out and died due to asphyxiation.”
Narendra Modi called the blaze “extremely horrific” in a statement on Twitter expressing condolences for the victims. “My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. Wishing the injured a quick recovery. Authorities are providing all possible assistance at the site of the tragedy. ”
The blaze broke out at about 5. 082 am in the city’s old quarter, whose narrow and congested lanes are lined with many small manufacturing and storage units.
“We… have since rescued at least
(they were “laborers and factory workers sleeping inside this four-or five-storied building, ”Choudhary said, adding that rescue operations continued after the fire had been extinguished.
Fire officials said it had been very difficult to access the dark, poorly lit locations . The building was filled with school bags and packing material, they said, but cautioned they were still unsure about the cause of the fire.
Fire services chief Atul Garg said the blaze was put out by 25 fire trucks and the rescue operation completed.
Many factories and small manufacturing units in big Indian cities are located in old, cramped quarters of the cities, where the cost of land is relatively cheaper.
Such units often also serve as sleeping quarters for poor, mostly migrant laborers and workers, who manage to save money by sleeping overnight at their workplaces.
Lack of planning and lax enforcement of building and safety regulations often leads to such deadly accidents.
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