Fire in Sodepur garments shop, 12 dead

Sodepur (West Bengal), May 16 : At least 12 people were killed on Friday when a fire broke out at a readymade garments shop on the Sodepur Station Road in North 24 Parganas district.

"Most of the victims died of suffocation because of intense smoke in the building," Belghoria Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ashok Ray told reporters.

Barrackpore Additional Superintendent of Police Praveen Tripathi said the injured were admitted to several nearby local hospitals.

He said seven fire tenders managed to bring the flames under control, but the building was badly damaged. The exact cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained.

Firemen broke the shutter of the shop and entered from upstairs. They rescued about 35 people with the help of local people. By Soma Mitra

ANI