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NEW DELHI, Dec. 8-- Crowds swelled outside a narrow lane at congested Anaj Mandi locality on Rani Jhansi Road in New Delhi since Sunday morning. Dozens of firefighters from the city's Delhi Fire Service lined on the road. Hoses fitted with their pump panels snaked inside the dark alley leading toward a multi-storey building that was gutted in a devastating fire, so far killing 43 and injuring many others. At the mouth of the lane, dozens of policemen kept the crowds at bay. Closeby personnel from civil defense formed a human chain to restrict people from moving deep inside. The men in uniform have placed barricades to impede anyone trying to reach the building. Meanwhile, the disaster response force personnel wearing gas masks and carrying oxygen cylinders hurriedly rushed inside. "The fire has been doused completely and right now we are carrying out searches for survivors and bodies in the congested area," Prakash Anand, a firefighter said. "We want to make it sure the building is completely searched." Early Sunday morning the Indian capital woke up to a horrific fire tragedy at a building in Anaj Mandi, a congested locality with many old buildings. According to residents, the building was occupied by non-local workers and was serving as their work station and residential complex. The skilled laborers occupying various floors of the building were making handbags, luggage and toys, or manufacturing packaging material and doing glasswork. | 
