In a tragic incident, six people, including three children, were charred to death while 13 others were injured after a massive fire broke out in a 4-storey building due to short circuit in Delhi’s Zakir Nagar area early on Tuesday.
Residents on the first and second floors escaped but those on the third and fourth floors were trapped as the fire had engulfed the upper floors.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the site and announced Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the victims.
Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal also visited the Holy Family Hospital to meet the fire victims expressing his deepest condolences to families who lost their dear ones in tragic fire incident.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta also visited hospital.
According to Atul Garg, the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Delhi Fire Services (DFS), eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot after information was received around 2.30 am about the fire was doused by 5.25 am. The blaze occurred due to short circuit in electric metres, said officials.
“The building in southeast Delhi housed 13 flats. Around seven cars and 19 bikes were also gutted in the fire,” said Garg. Those who perished in the fire have been identified as Zoha (34), Nagmi (30), Arbaaz (6), Amna (8) and Zikra (8). Their bodies have been kept at the AIIMS. The sixth body is yet to be identified and has been kept at the Safdarjung Hospital.
Four fire personnel were also injured in the rescue operation. The injured firemen have been identified as station officer Tara Chand (59), two fire operators -- Mohan Lal (40) and Dilbagh (39) -- and leading fireman Ram Niwas (44).
The others who are injured have been identified as Athar (36), Faiz (20), Farukh, Adeeba (20), Saima (24), Shabha Bhatt (45), Rehan (9), Shabana (30) and Umar (30).
Realising that the fire was spreading fast, residents of the building panicked and even jumped from their houses to save their lives. Residents on the first and second floor were lucky to have escaped while people on the third and fourth floor were trapped as the fire had engulfed the upper floors and there was smoke all around, said eyewitnesses.
Around 20 people were rescued by the locals and agencies. “The street was full of smoke after the fire. I was at the first floor of the building and escaped unhurt in the incident,” said Junaid (27), a businessman and a resident.
“The fire occurred between the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday and people panicked, following which they started jumping from their houses,” said Sohail (32), who lives in the same area.
Sudhir, a resident in the area said that with the help of fire fighters, he along with a few others broke the wall of the third floor house from an adjacent building and pulled people out of smoke.
“People died due to asphyxiation and those who are injured, they got hurt while jumping from the building to save their lives,” said Dr Mala, head of emergency ward of Holy Family Hospital.
Police have registered a case under sections 304(A) for causing death by negligence and 285 for negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The L-G also directed SDMC and the Delhi Police to take stern action against those found guilty in the planning and development of this four storeyed building in a congested area with no access for emergency services.
Kejriwal later visited the site and declared that the cause of the fire would be probed. “A very bad incident of fire took place last night, in which six persons lost their lives and 11 have been injured, who are currently admitted in the Holy Family Hospital. The Fire Department managed to bring the fire under control, but lives of six persons could not be saved,” Kejriwal said.
“The Delhi Government will provide a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the families of those who have lost their lives and Rs two lakh each to the injured. The government will also ascertain the exact cause of the fire and all efforts will be made that there is no repeat of such incidents,” Kejriwal added.
Congress working resident of Delhi unit Haroon Yusuf too expressed shock at the death of six persons and urged the Delhi Government to pay Rs 25 lakh compensation to each of the family members who lost their lives in the incident.