1st LD: 15 killed in factory fire near Indian capital

At least 15 people were killed and many injured in a major fire that broke out at a garment factory near the Indian capital on early Friday, a senior police official said.

"The fire broke out in the factory at Sahibabad in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, just 25 km from the national capital, around 4 a.m. local time. It started as a small blaze but it soon engulfed the whole factory," he said on condition of anonymity.

A number of workers were on duty at the factory when the inferno started. While 15 charred bodies have been brought out of the factory so far, those injured were admitted to a nearby hospital, most with burn injuries, the official said.

Local TV channels reported that at least 10 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames and showed footage of white smoke billowing out of the gutted factory that exports garments.

Senior police officials have rushed to the spot to oversee the rescue operations, he said, adding that a probe has been ordered into the incident.

"Though preliminary investigation indicates a short circuit to be the reason behind the fire, the probe will pinpoint the exact reason," he added. Endit