NEW DELHI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were injured from a collapsed factory building that caught fire here on Thursday, police said.
So far there were no reports of anyone being killed in the incident. Efforts to rescue one firefighter trapped inside the debris were underway.
The fire broke out in west Delhi's Peera Garhi area.
"Fourteen people, including 13 fire brigade personnel, were injured in the fire incident today," Rajendra Sagar, a senior police official told media at the spot. "The back portion of the building has collapsed and rescue work is underway."
The injured were immediately moved to the nearest hospitals, the police said.
According to officials, an explosion during the fire caused a factory building housing batteries to collapse, trapping people under the debris.
Witnesses said columns of smoke were billowing from the spot and leaping up in the sky.
The factory housed combustible material and plastics in huge quantities, which aggravated the fire, police said.
"A call for fire in a factory was received at 4:23 a.m. (local time) on Thursday, accordingly, seven fire tenders were sent to the spot. However, the fire was followed by a sudden blast, due to which the building collapsed," said Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg told media.
"We have rescued one civilian and two firemen who were trapped inside after the factory collapsed. Now the search for one fireman trapped inside is underway."
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
According to officials, 35 fire tenders were on the spot trying to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading.
Authorities have also rushed disaster response force personnel to the spot.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was closely monitoring the situation.
Last month, a fire inside an old building in the city killed 43 people and injured many others.
