At least 43 people were killed when the blaze swept through the five-story building in the early hours of Sunday, as laborers and factory workers were asleep inside. Some died due to asphyxiation.
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“The problem was the smoke — all the windows and doors were shut and there was dense smoke inside,” said Sunil Choudhary, deputy chief fire officer.
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Atul Garg, the director of Delhi’s fire services, told CNN that all those killed were from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
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Garg said the fire broke out on the building’s second floor, and it only has two staircases. One was locked and obstructed, while the other — the only egress from the building, was locked from the inside. Most died by asphyxiation, Garg said.
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The two men in police custody are being held on suspicion of culpable homicide and attempt to commit culpable homicide, respectively, Delhi Police public relations officer Anil Mittal said.
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A lawyer for the defendants said in a Monday court hearing that the correct paperwork proving ownership of the building was in place, adding that they did not have their own manufacturing units on the premises and that it was simply a warehouse
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An eyewitness said some workers had tried to escape from a terrace, but it was locked.
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“There are no proper ways to climb or get down, there is no fire safety, there is nothing,” Mohammad Samar said, adding that this was not the first blaze at the site, which was a plastic factory that manufactured toys.
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Samar said a number of small, unauthorized factories had been renting out space in the building, and that the complete lack of safety provisions was widely known.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the fire “extremely horrific” in a statement on Twitter.