11 dead in massive fire in New Delhi

AP :
A massive fire swept through a paint factory in India’s capital New Delhi killing at least 11 people and leaving four others injured, reported news agency Press Trust of India.
Fire officials said that the blaze started late Thursday on the ground floor of the factory, trapping the victims on the floors above with no way out. The building, which also houses a chemical warehouse, is located in the Alipur area in northern New Delhi.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
The charred bodies of the 11 victims were recovered from the rubble after 22 fire engines doused the flames after battling for more than five hours. The victims have not yet been identified.
Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents.
The identities of the deceased remain unknown, Fire Department officials said.
The officials said they received a call at 5.25pm and rushed 22 fire tenders to the site. The fire, which broke out from the ground floor of the factory, was brought under control after four hours. It is suspected the factory had a single staircase with no firefighting equipment.
The blaze was so strong that walls of houses adjacent to the factory were impacted.
Police have registered a case and the cause behind the blaze is being investigated.
Officials also added that those who died were completely charred and have been sent to a mortuary. An effort is on to identify them.
“Upon receiving the information, 22 fire tenders were rushed to the site. The fire was brought under control after 4 hours after which a cooling and a search operation started,” an official said. Atul Garg, director of DFS, said 150 firefighters tackled the blaze. He said no NOC for fire safety was given to the factory.
“Apart from the paint factory, a few shops and a rehabilitation centre were running inside the structure which have collapsed,” a fire official added.
Police said they had evacuated a family to a safe place. The paint factory is ruined.
Fire officials said that the blaze started on the ground floor of the factory. It is also suspected that the factory had a single staircase with no firefighting equipment. “Prima facie, it seems the fire emanated from the entry point of the staircase, due to which the workers were unable to escape,” an official said.
Shyamu Kumar, who lives with his family just two streets away from the factory, told TOI about the chaos that ensued. “My 18-year-old brother, Shubham, had recently started working in the factory.