Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar/IBNS/UNI: Six workers were killed in a massive fire that broke out at a hand gloves manufacturing company unit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar's Waluj Industrial area in Maharashtra late Saturday night.

According to the sources, the fire broke out in the factory at around 2:15 am, waking some workers who were sleeping.

The hot steam awakened them, and they ran to save their lives. Workers, who were sleeping inside the closed factory premises, reported the fire.

A fire at the company's exit point prevented workers from exiting, but some managed to escape safely using a tree. However, 15 workers were rescued from the factory.

Six fire tenders arrived at the scene after receiving a call early Sunday morning. Dousing operations are still ongoing, and the precise cause of the fire remains undetermined at this point, they said.

''Our officers entered and the bodies of six workers have been recovered,'' a fire officer source said.

The six deaths were confirmed by the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

Most of the workers hail from Bihar, and they were identified as Mustaq Shaikh (65), Kausher Shaikh (32), Iqbal Shaikh (18), Kakanji (55), Riazbhai (32), and Margus Shaikh (33), GMCH sources added.