NEW DELHI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a devastating fire inside a cloth warehouse in India's western state of Gujarat has risen to 12, police said Thursday.
The fire broke out Wednesday at a building in Piplaj-Pirana road in Ahmedabad, about 33 km south of Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat.
"So far 12 laborers were killed in the devastating fire incident," a police official said. "The dead include five women."
According to officials, a chemical store adjacent to the cloth warehouse also caught fire, prompting an explosion and the collapse of the building. Nine people were injured due to the falling concrete and bricks.
The injured are undergoing treatment at the nearest hospital in Ahemadabad city.
Following the incident, authorities rushed rescuers including firefighters to the spot to carry out rescue work which lasted till late Wednesday night. The rescuers pressed heavy machinery into service to break concrete slabs and extricate the trapped people.
The local government has ordered a probe into the incident and announced monetary help to the families of the victims.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences.
Chances of fire in Indian villages and cites are usually high as people usually ignore safety standards vis-a-vis fire and store fuel and combustible materials in a haphazard manner. Enditem