Major fire at a Delhi shoe factory, 6 feared missing
A major fire broke out at a shoe factory in Peeragarhi Udyog Nagar in Outer Delhi this morning, reports said, adding at least six people who worked there are feared missing. Thirty-one fire tenders and more than 50 firefighters have been rushed to the spot to control the blaze, Delhi Fire Service officials said, according to Hindustan Times. Here are more details on this.
Six factory employees are missing, owner says
Fire Department officials said their control room received a call at 8:22 am about the fire at the shoe factory, which also has a godown of shoes. Initially, 24 fire tenders were sent, followed by seven more considering the situation. The factory owner reportedly told firefighters that six of his employees were missing and were not responding to calls on their mobile phones, either.
Two ambulances also present at the spot
No casualties or injuries have been reported so far, while the cause of the blaze still remains unconfirmed. Two ambulances of the Centralized Ambulance Trauma Services (CATS) are also present at the spot. The factory belongs to the company Apeksha International and the owner is Pankaj Garg, said Parvinder Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer district), according to a report by The Indian Express.
'Firefighting operation may continue till late evening'
"It's a major category fire and the firefighting operation may continue till late evening," said Atul Garg, the chief of Delhi Fire Service. "A PCR call regarding a fire at J-5, Udhyog Nagar, Delhi was received. It is a godown of shoes...and efforts are underway to bring the fire under control. Five to six persons are suspected to be in above premises," Singh said.
Electrical short-circuit suspected, say officials
The building had only one staircase and improper ventilation facilities, officials said, according to The Indian Express. "Lack of proper fire safety arrangements in the building also posed challenges to bring the situation under control. The exact cause of the blaze is not yet known but initially electrical short-circuit is suspected to be one of the reasons behind the incident," they added.
