Mumbai, Mar 27 (IANS): A 22-year-old youth was killed when a major fire raged through a hardware shop at the dead of the night in Andheri, the BMC Disaster Control said here on Monday.

The blaze was reported around 2.15 a.m. from Rajshree Electric & Hardware stores near the Saki Naka Metro station, and five fire engines were rushed to the spot.

The flames remained confined within the 200-sq ft congested shop's electrical fittings and wiring, and it also had two lofts with more goods stored there.

Though locals claimed that at least two to three persons, reportedly workers, were trapped, the Fire Brigade later recovered the body of Rakesh Gupta.

The officials said that due to the intensity of the blaze the two lofts were fully gutted and crashed down blocking the entry for the rescue teams.

Accordingly, the fire brigade deployed a bulldozer to break down the front portions of the shop and gain access to douse the flames or save others reportedly trapped inside.

The cause of the fire is not clear and it is also not known whether the double-lofts built inside the shop were authorised or not.