New Delhi:
Ritu Devi watched in horror as her young son was burnt alive in the shoe factory where he worked in West Delhi.
"I could see my son at the window, wearing a black shirt and waving, asking for help. I did not see anyone help him. I could not do anything," she said.
At the morgue a few hours later, she was unable to identify his body. At least nine other bodies were recovered after a fire that began on Wednesday night blazed for nearly 15 hours. Thirty workers were on the night shift when the fire began - the cause has not been determined yet. Ten other workers are reportedly missing.
Every possible exit route in the three-storey building had been blocked. The door to the terrace was locked. The windows had grills on them - installed by managers who were reportedly worried that workers would steal the shoes they were making.
Those managers - Narendra Singla and Subhash Khullar - have been arrested. Mr Singla is also the owner of the factory. "It is clear that there has been negligence on the part of the owner. The building was not maintained properly. The windows have iron grills. There was no way to exit," said GS Meena, a senior police officer handling the case.
The building had not been granted a No-Objection Certificate by Fire Safety Officials.