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Devastating factory fire kills at least 43 in Indian capital

Posted at 8:38 AM, Dec 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-08 08:38:08-05

Authorities say an electrical short circuit appears to have caused a devastating fire that killed at least 43 people in a crowded market area in central New Delhi.

Firefighters fought the blaze from 100 yards away because it broke out in one of the area's many alleyways, tangled in electrical wire and too narrow for vehicles to access.

The fire started at a factory space near Sadar Bazaar, New Delhi's largest wholesale market for household goods.

Relatives said many of the victims were migrant workers, Muslim men from the eastern state of Bihar.

Police are investigating whether the factory was operating legally and have detained the building's owner.