12 Die In Mumbai Shop Fire – Police

Police said 12 people were killed in a fire in a wholesale snacks shop in India’s financial hub Mumbai on Monday.

Local police officer Suresh Wagle said that 12 employees of a shop selling farsan, sweet and savoury snacks, in the Sakinaka area of Mumbai were trapped in the fire that broke out early Monday and died.

He said four others were injured and are being treated in hospital.

“The fire started at the ground floor-level and the people inside were sleeping on the loft.

“They got trapped in the 60 feet by 30 feet structure (about nine by 18 metres) due to the intense heat and smoke and the loft subsequently collapsed,” Mumbai Fire Brigade officer PS Rahangdale was quoted as saying by the Hindu newspaper.

The charred bodies were found later in the morning after cooling operations were completed and officials sifted through debris at the site.

Police said the process of identifying them was on.

“Clearing operations are still on at the site,” Wagle said.

He did not rule out that other people could have been in the shop when it caught fire.

The police were investigating the cause of the blaze and whether all required safety measures had been taken by the shop owner.

Over 15,000 deaths occur due to accidental fires in India every year.