Two people, including a woman, were killed on Tuesday when a fire broke out at a tannery in Kanpur, police said.
The incident took place in the industrial area. The fire broke out in the morning and some workers inside the tannery premises were trapped inside.
"As fire tenders were rushed to the spot and with the help of fellow colleagues, most of the employees managed to escape. Two people were unable to escape and were burnt to death," an official told IANS.
The deceased have been identified as Shivkali (25) and Sunil (45).
It took six fire tenders more than three hours to douse the blaze.
Police said a probe has been ordered and the officials and management of the Verdex tannery, where the fire broke out, were being questioned to ascertain the reasons behind the fire.
Raw materials and products worth several lakhs of rupees were destroyed in the fire.