New Delhi, 16 Feb

The death toll in an explosion and subsequent fire in a paint factory in outer Delhi's Alipur area has climbed to 11 with four more bodies recovered from the premises, police said on Friday. Four people were injured in the fire that broke out on Thursday evening and are hospitalised, they said.

The charred bodies of the 11 victims, 10 men and one woman, were recovered from the factory, which also houses chemical godowns, located in Alipur's Dayalpur market, a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said.

The fire was preceded by a blast and soon it spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops. Police said the factory was being operated by Akhil Jain of Sonipat, Haryana. A case under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC has been registered against the owner of the factory.

The DFS official said a call about the fire was received around 5:30pm on Thursday and 22 fire tenders were pressed into service. The blaze was brought under control by 9pm, he said, adding that 11 charred bodies were recovered from the factory premises. The bodies have been preserved at the Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital and the process of identifying them is being carried out, police said

A police officer said it is suspected that the blast was caused by chemicals stored in the godowns. The four injured have been identified as Jyoti (42), Divya (20), Mohit Solanki (34), and police constable Karambir (35).

Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer-north) Ravi Kumar Singh said a police team at the spot saw that the fire had spread to a number of other buildings, including the neighbouring 'Nasha Mukti Kendra', where four-five people were trapped. "Our constable Karambir posted at Alipur Police Station rushed to the terrace of the 'Nasha Mukti Kendra' putting his own life in danger and managed to rescue the trapped people. He sustained injuries, including burns and is now admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital," Singh said. The injured were first taken to Raja Harish Chandra Hospital from where three of them have been shifted to the LNJP Hospital.

"Two of the admitted patients, both women, were having smoke inhalation-related breathing issues. However, no surface burn injuries. Their condition is stable," LNJP Medical Director, Suresh Kumar told PTI.  The women live in a house near the factory and had inhaled the billowing smoke, doctors said.