At least 11 people were charred to death in a major fire that broke out at a scrap godown in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said. The blaze began on the ground floor of the two-storey godown owned by Shawdan Traders in the Bhoiguda area of the city around 2.45am and soon engulfed the entire building. Within minutes, as many as nine fire tenders were pressed into service but it took them nearly three hours to douse the flames, according to officials. "Some 12 workers were fast asleep on the first floor of the godown when the blaze began and by the time the fire was doused, 11 of them were burnt alive," senior fire officer V Papiah told the local media. Read: 10 'burnt alive' in India's Bengal Police said the victims were all migrant workers from the eastern state of Bihar. "One of them escaped with minor injuries, and he's being treated at a local hospital," Hyderabad Police chief CV Anand said. Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, Anand said. An electrical short-circuit seemed to have triggered the fire that was prolonged by fibre cables stored in the godown, the fire officer said. "Anyway, a probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause." Fires in small factories and godowns are common in India because of lax enforcement of inferno safety regulations.  

A 50-year-old worker died at a Dhaka hospital on Sunday, three days after he sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out at a scrap warehouse in the capital’s Rampura. The deceased was identified as Md Helal Uddin, of Rajbari district. Helal Uddin, who was undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery with 85 per cent burn injuries, breathed his last around 1:30pm, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost. Also read: Fulbaria market fire under control He was among five people who sustained burn injuries after the warehouse near Bou Bazar Matir Mosque in Rampura caught fire on Thursday following a cylinder explosion while loading goods in a truck. On information, two fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the blaze, said Khaleda Yasmin, duty officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters. Besides Helal the other injured were identified as Md Yusuf, 50, Md Siddique, 50, Nur Nabi, 51, and Nader, 45 - all workers of the godown. They are under treatment at the hospital. Also read: N'ganj garment factory fire under control

Five people sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out at a scrap godown in the Rampura area of the capital in the early hours of Thursday. All the five are being treated at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The injured were identified as Md Yusuf, 50, Md Helel Uddin, 50, Md Siddique, 50, Nur Nabi, 51, and Nader, 45. All are the workers of the godown. Read: Fire guts 40 auto-rickshaws in Rajshahi Among the injured people, Siddique suffered 54 percent burn injuries, Nur Nabi 42 percent, Helel 85 percent, and Nader 45 percent burn injuries, said hospital sources. The fire broke out at 1.43am at the scrap godown near Bou Bazar Matir Mosque in the Rampura area, said Khaleda Yasmin, duty officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters. On information, two fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused around 2.30am, she said. "A gas cylinder explosion may have triggered the fire," she said.

A fire that broke out at a cork sheet godown in the Nitaigonj area of Narayanganj Wednesday morning was brought under control within an hour, officials said. The blaze started around 10.25am and was brought under control around 11.30am, said Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of Narayanganj fire service. Read: Fire breaks out at Ctg garments factory "As many as seven fire tenders have been pressed into service to douse the flames completely," he said. A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of damage, the officer said.