Four workers were charred to death while four others sustained critical burn injuries after a massive fire broke out at a shoe manufacturing factory in Outer Delhi’s Sultanpuri area on Monday morning. Hours after blaze killed four workers in Sultanpuri, a fire broke out in the Chandni Chowk market, in which a 21 year old man died.
Delhi Fire Service (DFS) Additional Director Atul Garg said, “We received a call around 6.35 am from A-block in Raja Park area of Sultanpuri area. While four men were found dead, the other four were rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.”
A senior fire department official said at least 15 fire tenders were pressed into service and it took more than three hours to douse the flames.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) MN Tiwari said, “The deceased has been identified as Mohamad Razi (20), Mohamamd Shamu (17), Mahbub Barish (18) and Ayub (17). We have registered a under Section 285(Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 304A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at the Sultanpuri police station.” Police further said all the deceased hailed from the Asmada village in Uttar Pradesh Hardoi district. Ayub and Mehboob were siblings, they added.
Police said the factory was being run by one Veeresh Gupta, who lives in the same locality. The building was used for manufacturing shoes and housed around 25-30 workers, added the official.
Police said that the factory is located in a residential area. “It seems the fire broke out from the first floor of the factory. In the fire, the ground and the three upper floors were gutted. There were at least 20 persons present in the factory at the time of the incident. The cause of the fire is yet to be established,” the officer added.
Police said that they are checking where the factory had clearance from the fire department.In another mishap, a 21-year-old man died due to suffocation after a fire broke out at the Chandni Chowk market on Monday afternoon. The official said that 20 fire tenders were pressed into service.
Jatin Narwal, DCP (North) said, “One Rohit (21), a resident of Muzzafarpur in Bihar was declared brought dead at the lNJP hospital. He has been working as an office boy om the third floor of the Kamal building in Chandni Chowk. Preliminary investigation indicated that he died due to suffocation.”
Atul Garg said, “A fire broke out at the Kucha Mahagani in Chandani Chowk at round 2 pm.” The police said that the building in which the fire started, housed several jewellery shops. The fire further spread to all the three floors.
Around 22 fire tenders were rushed to contain the blaze and the operation was still underway, said the official. A total of seven persons died in the fire related incidents in Delhi in the past three days. While, two persons died in a fire at a footwear-manufacturing unit in Narela on Saturday, a 62-year-old shopkeeper died in a pre-dawn blaze at his shop in Sarita Vihar area on Sunday.