INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A "horrific" factory fire in India is believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit - as relatives of workers trapped inside
identified victims from photos on police officers' phones.At least 43 people died in the blaze in the capital New Delhi and another 16 were
being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.Firefighters arriving at the blaze where workers were sleeping had to move dozens of bikes and
rickshaws before beginning their rescue operation.There were also hundreds of agitated residents already at the scene, reportedly hindering
rescue teams from reaching the site, where there are narrow alleyways with lots of electrical wires.Image:Members of the emergency services
pictured at the siteEyewitnesses have been describing what they saw when they arrived after the blaze which broke out in the six-storey
building at around 4.30am on Sunday.Mohammad Naushad went outside to find smoke and flames coming from the premises near Sadar Bazaar, the
city's largest wholesale market for household goods.Inside, he found the fourth floor engulfed in flames
One floor below, he saw "20 to 25 people lying on the floor"."I don't know if they were dead or unconscious, but they were not moving," he
said.Mr Naushad, who said he carried at least 10 people out of the flames on his shoulders and was one of the first responders, said
firefighters and other civilian volunteers braved the fire and managed to rescue dozens of workers.He added: "But many more could have been
saved."Image:Emergency services respond to the blaze in central New DelhiMehboob Alam told how his phone rang at 5.04am - it was his
38-year-old nephew, Mohammad Imran, pleading to be saved.A minute into the call, Mohammad's voice disappeared and Mr Alam ran towards his
nephew in the burning building where loud cries for help could be heardImage:Concerns had been raised about safety in the factoryMr Alam
said: "I knew then and there that he wouldn't have made it."Mr Imran, a father of two, was among those killed who were mostly Muslim migrant
workers from the impoverished border state of Bihar in eastern India.Their work paid as little as 150 rupees (£1.60) a day making handbags,
caps and other garments.When the fire broke out, the workers were asleep between lengthy shifts.Authorities and medics said most of the
deaths were due to people inhaling poisonous gases inside the cramped building.Image:Workers were sleeping at the factory when the fire
broke outMedia reports said the building's owner has been arrested by police.Babar Ali, 32, rescued his sister-in-law Maisuma Bibi who was
woken from her bed on the ground floor of the factory.Mr Ali, who used to work in the same building, said the migrant workers had been
fighting for better wages and worked in unsafe conditions.He added: "Their only fault was they were poor
Why else would someone work and sleep in such a congested place?"India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the fire as "extremely
horrific"."My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones
Wishing the injured a quick recovery," Mr Modi tweeted.
