Mumbai sweet shop fire kills 12 in India Published duration 18 December 2017

image copyright Mumbai Fire Brigade image caption The fire broke out early on Monday morning inside a sweet shop

Twelve people have died in a fire that broke out inside a sweet shop in the western Indian city of Mumbai.

All 12 had been rescued from the shop but died on the way to the hospital, officials said.

The victims were reported to be workers who were employed at the shop and were also living there.

The fire broke out around 04:00 India time (22:30 GMT) on the ground floor of the shop, trapping people in the loft, which later collapsed due to the heat.

Rescue operations are still under way, officials told BBC Marathi.

It's not yet clear what caused the fire though poor maintenance and a lack of safety measures are often to blame. Officials said an investigation had begun.

A similar fire at a construction site in Mumbai killed six people and injured several others in September.