Over 2.5K killed in bizarre accidents last year

new delhi: While road accidents in Delhi had come down markedly in 2019 compared to the previous year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's latest data, over 2,500 people lost their lives in various accidents across the Capital last year ranging from falling from a height to accidental explosions, factory mishaps, spurious liquor and other such cases.

According to the NCRB data for last year, 14 different kinds of accidental deaths were reported in 2019, which included 397 fall cases in which a total of 384 people died. Interestingly, of these, 310 deaths were caused by falling from a height and others were due to causes such as falling from running vehicles.

Moreover, the data revealed that 33 structures had collapsed in Delhi last year, in which 22 people had died and 160 people had drowned whereas in 100 cases of electrocution, 87 people lost their lives. In total, over 2,600 such accident cases had resulted in the deaths of 2,168 men and 408 women in the city last year.

A police official said that in cases related to falling from a height, they probe different angles to check for foul play. "It can be a suicide or an accidental fall, all angles are probed. Like a person slipped from the terrace or overstepped and fell down," the official said.

Speaking to Millennium Post, Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said, "There are various reasons behind house collapses, including unauthorised construction, depleted condition of the house." According to the official, in several cases, they have seen many under-construction structures collapse.

Furthermore, the NCRB data showed that in 20 cases of accidental explosions last year, 13 people had been killed and that there were as many as 300 factory or machinery-related mishaps which killed 220 people. In addition, 89 accidental fires last year led to the death of 150 people. The prime cause of such fire was found to be a short circuit, which led to 83 deaths whereas cooking gas blasts killed 18 people. In 33 cases, 19 people died due to mishaps with firearms whereas 356 people lost their lives in sudden deaths, including 159 people who died of a heart attack.

According to one fire official, in factories, the use of multiple machines increases the load on wires, which then leads to fire incidents. Another official said that the wiring of a house needs to be replaced when electrical appliances increase. When electrical goods like ACs, fans, refrigerators increase in a residence, outdated wiring cannot handle the growing number of electrical instruments and overload can cause a fire.

Last year, a factory worker died after his head was stuck in the lift, inside taps making factory, in Shahdara's Seemapuri area. According to an official, in several cases, they have found negligence of supervisors or employers. While explaining the reason behind cylinder blasts, the DFS director said that people buy the illegal cylinders which is not authorised by the company which often leads to such accidents.

The data further showed that 10 women died during pregnancy and 22 died after consuming illicit liquor. Delhi also saw 77 deaths due to poisoning, of which 28 were related to food poisoning and drug abuse led to 12 deaths.

As for drowning cases and building collapses, one National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) official said there is a range of factors that determine the chances of survival in such cases. In drowning cases, it is important to see if the victim is a swimmer or if the water is cold. And as for building collapses, the official said oxygen is key for survival.