Fire breaks out in a factory in New Delhi

At least 43 people have died in a fire at a factory in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on Sunday morning. According to officials, the fire occurred at 5 a.m. Most of the dead were factory workers and workers who were sleeping in the factory at the time of the fire. Relief workers rescued 50 people from the affected building.

The fire brigade's 15 vehicles arrived on the spot and the fire was restrained, after which rescue activities were underway. Fire brigade officials said the fire was reported at 5 am and 22 minutes after which 15 vehicles were immediately dispatched to the scene.

According to India's official news agency, Press Trust of India, Deputy Fire Chief Sunil Chaudhry said the fire started in a building on a 600 square foot plot where workers were present at the factory.

The factory used to make school bags, bottles and plastic goods. Most of the workers were sleeping at the time of the incident. Most of the affected shrines are reported from Bihar. According to Indian media, after the incident, a crowd of people including families of the deceased were gathered on the spot.

The injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals. According to doctors, 34 were shifted to one hospital and 15 to another hospital. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed regret and sympathy with the victims in a message on Twitter.

Imran Hussain, a minister in New Delhi, said that a full investigation would be carried out and strict action would be taken against those responsible if proved wrong.

Meanwhile, the French news agency AFP says the factory in which the blaze occurred is in a five-storeyed building and in a densely populated area where the streets are very narrow. Throughout the area there are a number of different factories for making various things, even the walls of the buildings are interconnected.

Fire brigade staff told AFP that relief work was interrupted due to darkness, while the area is located near a commercial center like Saddar Bazaar, and old and obsolete buildings are located here.