In a tragic incident, at least 11 workers were charred to death, and four were injured in a massive fire that broke out inside a paint factory in Outer Delhi’s Dayalpur market in Alipur on Thursday evening. The victims are yet to be identified.
The charred bodies of the 11 victims, 10 men and one woman, were recovered from the factory, which also houses chemical godowns. The fire was preceded by a blast, and soon it spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops.
According to Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg, the blaze broke out at the single-storey factory before engulfing the entire premises. “We received a phone call about the fire at 5:30 pm from Bhorgarh at Dayalpur market in Alipur,” he said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the kin of those killed in the fire in a paints factory.
The Chief Minister also visited the site to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of the blaze. “We have full sympathy for the families of the deceased. We will provide compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. Two people have sustained minor injuries, and they will be awarded compensation of Rs 20,000 each, and those with major injuries will be awarded compensation of Rs two lakh each,” he told reporters.
The Chief Minister said there are allegations that there was a delay in the arrival of fire tenders to the spot. “I will issue instructions for an enquiry into the alleged delay in the arrival of fire engines and how the factory was operating in this area,” he said.
He also said those whose nearby shops and houses were affected due to the fire would be awarded compensation in line with the Government’s policy. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva also visited the site and announced a monetary help of Rs 50,000 for the kin of those killed.
Police said the factory was being operated by Akhil Jain of Sonipat, Haryana. A case under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC has been registered against the owner of the factory.
The DFS official said a call about the fire was received around 5:30 pm on Thursday, and 22 fire tenders were dispatched to the site.
The blaze was brought under control by 9 pm, the DFS official said, adding that 11 charred bodies were recovered from the factory premises. The bodies have been preserved at the Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, and the process of identifying them is underway, police said.
In a post on X, DFS chief Atul Garg said, “Despite the best efforts by DFS, 11 labourers died in a paint factory fire in the Alipur area of Delhi. A fire call was received at 5:30 pm, and 22 tenders were dispatched to the site. However, due to an explosion, the building collapsed, and workers trapped inside the factory could not be saved. A very unfortunate day.”
A police officer said it is suspected that the blast was caused by chemicals stored in the godowns.
The four injured have been identified as Jyoti (42), Divya (20), Mohit Solanki (34), and police constable Karambir (35). Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer-north) Ravi Kumar Singh said a police team at the spot saw that the fire had spread to a number of other buildings, including the neighbouring ‘Nasha Mukti Kendra’, where four-five people were trapped.
“Our constable Karambir posted at Alipur Police Station rushed to the terrace of the ‘Nasha Mukti Kendra’ putting his own life in danger and managed to rescue the trapped people. He sustained injuries, including burns and is now admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital,” Singh said.
The injured were first taken to Raja Harish Chandra Hospital from where three of them have been shifted to the LNJP Hospital.
“Two of the admitted patients, both women, were having smoke inhalation-related breathing issues. However, no surface burn injuries.Their condition is stable,” LNJP Medical Director, Suresh Kumar said. The women live in a house near the factory and had inhaled the billowing smoke, doctors said.
In May 2022, 27 people were killed and a dozen injured in a massive fire at a four-storey commercial building near Mundka Metro station. More than 20 charred bodies were recovered.
In January 2018, a fire at an illegal firecracker packaging unit in Northwest Delhi’s Bawana Industrial Area left 17 workers dead.