Four people died and at least three injured in a fire that erupted in a chemical factory in Rithala area of Delhi’s Rohini. The fire broke out at the five-storey building in Rohini Sector-5 area on Tuesday and 16 fire tenders were rushed to douse the blaze. Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg said the incident was reported from a premises located near Rithala Metro Station.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns about safety compliance in industrial units operating in densely populated areas of Delhi. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and further investigation is in progress. Search operations are also underway to ascertain if any one is still trapped debris. Police have so far recovered four charred bodies, officials said. The four-storey structure houses multiple factories, including bag production units on the ground and first floors.
“Initially, three injured people were rescued and taken to BSA Hospital. They were identified as Nitin Bansal (31) and Rakesh (30), both with 80 per cent burn injuries, and Virender (25), who sustained minor burns. Nitin and Rakesh were later shifted to RML Hospital for further treatment,” he added. According to police, a PCR call regarding the blaze was received at Budh Vihar Police Station at 7.29 pm on Tuesday, following which the emergency officer along with local police staff rushed to the spot at Rana Complex, Gate No. 2, Rithala, where several people were reported trapped inside a burning building.
The five-storey building houses several manufacturing units. Police said the ground and first floors were used for making readymade and plastic bags by one Nitin Bansal, son of the building’s owner Suresh Bansal. The second floor was rented to one Anand for fabric-related work, while the third and top floor were being used as godown space by Rakesh Arora, who dealt in disposable articles.
At around 1.15 am, fire personnel recovered three charred bodies from the first floor, which were beyond recognition, the officer added. Later another body was found.
Fire officials said the fire was brought under control on the lower floors by 6 am on Wednesday, but firefighting operations were still underway on the third and top floor due to heavy smoke.
A case has been registered and teams from the crime branch and forensics have been called in to examine the scene.
With scant regard for fire safety norms, illegal factories functioning without proper approvals have led to loss of innocent lives in fire tragedies in Delhi, with Rohini being the latest.
Before the Rithala incident, the national capital has witnessed many such incidents.
Last year in February, a massive fire ripped through a paint factory in outer Delhi’s Alipur area, claiming the lives of 11 people. The fire was preceded by a blast and soon it spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had said that the building where the fire broke out was being used illegally for the purpose of mixing chemical paint.
On May 13, 2022 at least 27 people were killed after a massive blaze engulfed a commercial building, comprising basement and four floors, in the Mundka area of west Delhi.
The incident had stirred memories of another inferno — the 2019 Anaj Mandi blaze that claimed 44 lives, making it the most severe fire incident in the national capital after the Uphaar Cinema tragedy.