A fire in a tailoring shop in India kills 7, including children

NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire in a tailoring shop on Wednesday killed seven people, including two children, in the Indian city of Aurangabad, police said.

The blaze created panic in part of the business district of the city in Maharashtra state.

Authorities suspect that the deaths occurred due to smoke inhalation, the New Delhi Television cited city police chief Manoj Lohiya as saying.

Authorities were investigating the cause of the fire in the city nearly 340 kilometers (210 miles) northeast of Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment capital.

Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often flout building laws and safety codes.

In 2019, a fire caused by an electrical short circuit engulfed a building in the Indian capital and killed 43 people. In 2022, a fire in a four-story commercial building in New Delhi killed at least 27.