M A I N   N E W S

12 charred to death in Delhi
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 7
At least 12 persons, including four women, were killed and four others seriously injured in a fire which ravaged a four- storeyed garments factory in the congested Vishwas Nagar area of East Delhi, today.

The bodies, most of them charred beyond recognition, were retrieved by the Delhi Fire Service personnel from under the debris. In all 18 fire tenders battled with the flames for at least three hours before the fire could be brought under control and prevented from spreading to adjoining areas in the congested locality. All the victims are said to be employees of the factory.

The injured have been admitted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where their condition was described as serious. Two other persons sustained injuries when then they jumped out of the second floor window to escape the flames.

The entire area was cordoned off for hours to facilitate fire fighting operations. A strong posse of policemen was also rushed to the spot to keep the curious onlookers at a safe distance. The police said a case had been registered and efforts were being made to identify the victims.

Senior Delhi Fire Service officers said they faced some problems initially because of the narrow congested lanes which made the movement of fire tenders a little difficult. The building had no fire safety provisions.

According to the DFS officials, the fire broke out in a section of the second floor of the factory, specialising in manufacturing under garments, at around 11 am and soon spread to the entire area as it found ready fuel in the huge stock of cloth and finished garments stacked inside. While the cause of the fire was still being investigated, the possibility of an electric short circuit having caused it was not being ruled out.