Delhi
Indian authorities are investigating the cause of a devastating fire that has killed at least 43 people in a crowded market in central Delhi. Firefighters fought the blaze from a distance of 100 metres because it broke out in one of the area’s many alleyways, tangled in electrical wire and too narrow for vehicles to access, authorities at the scene said.
The fire started at a factory space near Sadar Bazaar, Delhi’s largest wholesale market for household goods. Many of the victims were labourers who were asleep when the blaze began, according to Yogesh, a police spokesman who uses one name. Police are investigating whether the factory was operating legally, he said. Dr Kishore Singh said rescuers brought victims to his government-run hospital and two others in the city. A further 16 people were being treated for burns or smoke inhalation and were in a stable condition, Singh said.
More than two dozen police officers stood guard outside the Lok Nayak hospital, keeping a crowd of people from entering. Relatives of the workers cried, consoled one another and jostled for information. Many of the families gathered at the hospital said they came from the impoverished border state of Bihar in eastern India, including Mohammad Moti, who was searching for his 22-year-old nephew, Mohammad Chedi.
“I was told by someone my nephew is inside, but I haven’t seen him,” Moti said. Atul Garg, the fire services chief, said the blaze was put out by 25 fire trucks.—Agencies
