A fire swept through a factory in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore Tuesday, killing at least 18 people and injuring several more, rescuers and doctors said, reported dpa.
All of those killed, including two children, were workers in the factory that produced plastic pellets.
"Eighteen bodies and five injured people have been brought to us," said Zahid Pervez, chief of the city's MAO hospital. "Casualties might increase as some victims have serious burns."
Most died of suffocation as they were trapped in the building, according to rescuers.
Television channels showed firefighters searching for bodies and survivors in the gutted building. Huge clouds of smoke billowing from the factory could be seen kilometres away from the site.
The cause was not immediately known, but poor safety standards and faulty electrical wiring are often blamed for such accidents.