International news

India: Factory fire kills dozens

Indian authorities are investigating the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 43 people in a crowded market in central New Delhi. The blaze broke out at the four-storey building in the city's congested old quarter early on Sunday morning. At least 100 people were sleeping inside the factory, which mainly makes school bags, when the fire started. More than 60 have been rescued. According to police, many of the victims were factory workers who were asleep when the blaze began.

Assistant New Delhi police commissioner Anil Kumar Mittal said that "the fire appears to have been caused by an electric short circuit," adding that authorities were investigating whether the factory was operating legally. Building laws and safety norms are routinely flouted in New Delhi, making fires common.

The building's owner, Rihan, was detained on suspicion of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Mr Mittal said. Rihan's manager Furkan was also arrested.

The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial probe into the tragedy, the worst fire accident in the national capital since the 1997 Uphaar cinema blaze that claimed 59 lives, and have sought a report within seven days.
Read more: The Times of India; ABC News online; BBC News

Share Tweet

RELATED

‘ECO-ANXIETY’ TOLL DEMANDS WORKPLACE SUPPORT
Research psychologists from King's College London emphasize the need for workplace support in addressing the psychological impacts of climate change and extreme weather, often referred to as 'eco-anxiety.'
Read More
GLOBAL: NARROW DEFEAT IN BID FOR GLOBAL RIGHT TO KNOW
Efforts supported by unions and public interest groups to reform a UN right to know treaty on the export of the most hazardous substances have narrowly failed.
Read More
MANUFACTURER FINED AFTER WORKER'S FINGERS AMPUTATED
An aluminium window and door manufacturer has been fined $70,000 after a worker had four fingers amputated while operating a saw at a Bayswater North factory.
Read More