NEW DELHI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A major fire broke out at a hosiery mill in the northern Indian state of Punjab Tuesday, police said.
"The blaze started this morning at the yarn mill near Shingar movie theater on Samrala Road at Shivajinagar in the state's Ludhiana city," a senior police official said.
Though the fire has fully engulfed the entire four-storey building housing the mill, there have been no reports of any casualty yet, he said.
"Some 12 fire tenders have been pressed into service to contain the flames. All those present inside the mill have been evacuated," the official said.
However, there has been substantial damage to goods worth millions.
Local TV channels showed footage of the raging fire at the building and reported firefighters tried to throw out heaps of yarn and cotton of the unit to stop the flames from spreading.
A probe has been ordered into the incident, he said.
Ludhiana is known as the "Manchester of India" for its vibrant textile industry. But fire incidents are common in the city. In April this year, there had been as many as six incidents of fire in factories.
