Shoe factory fire kills more than 20 in Pakistan's Lahore: official

GlobalPost

A huge fire in a shoe factory in eastern Pakistan today killed over 20 people, a police officer told the Associated Press.

Pakistan's Express News said people may still be inside the burning building, which has reportedly been surrounded by a dozen fire engines. 

Local policeman Multan Khan told AP that the fire has so far killed 21 people and injured six at the Lahore factory.

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It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, but Pakistan's Frontier Post and Khan said a large amount of chemicals kept in the factory may have been set off by a spark from the electric generator.

Over 100 people worked at the factory, which was equipped with only one entrance/exit, according to Express News

The large fire has reportedly burned cars parked outside the building. 

Safety measures in factories in Pakistan are frequently lacking, with tragic results.

The collapse of a Lahore factory in February killed 13 people, according to BBC News

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