The victims were trapped when the fire broke out and were said to be asphyxiated by the billowing plumes of smoke.

At least five persons, including four women, were feared dead in a blaze which ripped through a cotton factory sited in the Chakan industrial area on Thursday morning, 20 km from the city.

The tragedy took place at around 10:30 a.m. on the Chakan-Talegaon road near Kharabwadi in the Chakan MIDC, said police sources. Fire fighting teams rushed to the spot to quell the inferno which all but gutted the cotton factory.

The fire was brought under control after several hours of furious fire fighting in which at least five water tenders were urgently pressed into service.

“The bodies of four young women and one man have been recovered till now by jawans of the fire services. They were all labourers working in the cotton factory,” said police sub-inspector Shridhar Jagtap of Chakan police, speaking to The Hindu.

The deceased have been identified as Kalpana Sirsath (29), Radha Thakur (26), Kusum Sakharkar (30), Ujjwala Sonsale (35) and Ramdas Rathod (52).

While some managed to escape, the victims were trapped when the fire broke out and were said to be asphyxiated by the billowing plumes of smoke.

The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained. The Chakan police is investigating the case.