India, Oct. 31 -- The fire at a shoe factory in northwest Delhi's Mangolpuri Industrial Area, which claimed four lives and left two others injured on Friday night, has once again brought the Capital's fire safety preparedness under scrutiny.

The Mangolpuri fire broke out around 9.30pm in the basement of a three-storey shoe factory in Phase-I of the industrial area. More than 20 fire tenders were pressed into service, and firefighters battled the blaze for over three hours.

Six people were rescued unconscious and rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where four were declared dead. Two others were undergoing treatment. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Over the years, Delhi has witnessed several devastating fires in fa...