At least 11 dead in fire in paint factory in outer Delhi's Alipur

At least 11 people were killed and four injured in a fire that broke out in a paint factory in outer Delhi's Alipur on Thursday evening, 16 February police said.

The charred bodies of the seven victims were found from the premises of the factory located in Alipur's Dayalpur Market, an official said.

Among those four admitted to hospital, one is a police personnel, who got wounded during the rescue operation.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said a call about the incident was received at 5.25 pm and 22 fire-tenders were pressed into service.

Police said the fire was preceded by a blast, probably caused by chemicals kept in the factory.

Due to the blast, some nearby houses and shops also caught fire. Some of the injured persons were residing in those places.

The blaze was brought under control by 9 pm, the fire official said, adding that the cooling-off operation is underway.

An officer said a few more people are missing and a search operation is on.

"Teams have been formed to investigate the matter," the officer said.

More updates to follow.