Two dead in fire at footwear factory in Delhi

Two men from Uttar Pradesh died in a fire at a plastic footwear factory in Narela industrial area today, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Vinay, 33, who worked at the factory, and his friend Kuldeep, 25, a police officer said.

A call about the fire was received at 2.32 am and seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The firefighters found two men on the first floor of the factory, said an official of the Delhi Fire Services.

Police said the men, who sustained burn injuries, were rushed to Harishchandra Hospital where they were declared dead by doctors.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway. The cause of the fire will be ascertained after the inquiry, but a short-circuit is suspected to be the cause, said a police officer.

Around a dozen workers were present in the factory when the fire started. They escaped in a hurry while Vinay and Kuldeep, who were sleeping on the first floor at the time, wee trapped.

The place where they were sleeping was used for storage of chemicals, police said.

The fire fighters doused the flames by around 4.15 am.

Vinay worked at the factory while Kuldeep worked at some other place in the area but used to stay with his friend. They both belonged to Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh.