At least one person has died and two remain missing after a fire broke out Thursday at a paint factory in the northern part of India’s capital, New Delhi. Four others were injured, including a police officer, as rescue teams worked to manage the incident.
Firefighters were alerted around 17:25 local time and responded with six firefighting units. The blaze was brought under control after about four hours of strenuous effort, according to Indian television network NDTV.
Prior to the fire, an explosion was heard at the factory, and investigators suspect the blaze was sparked by the chemicals stored on site. The explosion caused the building to collapse, trapping workers inside who later died, authorities said.
Additionally, flames spread to an adjacent building. Rescue services continue a search and recovery operation for the missing workers, while officials say the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
[Source: NDTV] [Additional coverage by local authorities and news agencies will be added as available.]