Nine people, including a woman and a ten-year-old boy, were killed and eight others injured in a major fire that broke out in a glass factory in Samaypur Badli area of northwest Delhi on Saturday, the police said.

The fire broke out in the unit at about 0800 hours after a blast in its furnace, which also resulted in the collapse of some portion of the building, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police R S Yadav said.

Scores of fire tenders battled for over two hours to control the blaze, in which four persons, including ten-year-old Brij Kishore and 50-year-old Anari Devi, were charred to death.

Factory foreman Prem Kumar was also found dead in the debris while the fourth body is yet to be identified, Yadav said.

A total of 18 injured were rushed to Babu Jagjiwan Ram and Jai Prakash Narain hospitals by Police Control Room vans and CATS ambulances, of which five admitted to the Jai Prakash Narain hospital succumbed to their burn injuries.

Those admitted to Babu Jagjiwan Ram hospital were discharged after first aid, he said.

Four of those who died in hospital were identified as Mushtaq Khan, Prem Chand, Vijay and Dharmendra while one was yet to identified, Yadav said.

The police have registered a case of death caused due to negligence against factory owner R K Khanna whose residential premises were found locked, he said, adding efforts were on to trace him.