Devastating fire kills at least 43 in India's capital

At least 43 people were killed on Sunday in a devastating fire that ripped through a bag factory in the congested old quarter of the Indian capital New Delhi, with survivors describing the screams of scores of trapped workers who were sleeping inside.

The blaze was the worst in Delhi since 59 movie-goers died in a cinema in 1997, with the city's poor planning and enforcement of building and safety regulations often responsible for such deadly incidents.Tearful relatives spoke of receiving desperate calls from factory workers begging to be freed from the inferno in the dark, poorly lit premises in the commercial hub of Sadar Bazar from around 23:30 GMT.

Suffocated

The building was home to a number of manufacturing units producing items including school bags and packing materials which only aided the spread of the blaze, officials said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the fire was "extremely horrific", as authorities said they would offer financial assistance to the victims' families and to survivors.Locals said the factory also made purses and jackets, and had just one entrance and 20 rooms on each floor that were connected by one internal stairway.

Dozens rescued

Sajjamuddin Ahmad spent two hours searching for his father-in-law and brother-in-law before discovering they were dead, he said.

Families of the victims said they were mostly migrant workers from Bihar, one of India's most impoverished states. Some of them were paid just $14 a month, they said.

Police and fire officials said at least 58 others were rescued. The flames had been extinguished and they did not expect to find more bodies, they added.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known but Delhi's fire services director told the Press Trust of India news agency that the site had been operating without the required fire safety clearances.The building's owner and manager were arrested later Sunday, police told PTI.

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