Two workers charred to death in fire

New Delhi: The fire continued killing of persons taking the death toll to 17 as two more workers died in the blaze inside a garment stitching factory in Gandhi Nagar area of Shahdara district. Delhi Fire Service claimed that the reason can be short circuit but after the investigation, things will be clear.

Six persons of the same family were rescued through a ladder with the help of residents and police personnel. Both the bodies were found in the staircase which suggests that they tried to escape but due to smoke they were trapped and died. "The reason might be suffocation and burn injuries. The investigation is going on from all angle," said a police official. The deceased were identified as Fezan (22) and Shahmat (30). Both are the native of Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Fire Officer of Delhi Fire Services (DFS) Atul Garg stated that they got the call around 11:52 pm on Sunday after which more than 10 fire tenders were pressed for the work. The fire was doused at 12.45 am on Monday. "Two charred bodies taken out from 2nd floor, handed over to police. The third floor is residential," said Garg.

The street number 18 A in Kailash Nagar where the fire broke out is congested and several residents live there. There were the mangled wires in the electric pole. "It was around 11:30 pm when people who were on the street noticed the fire and alerted everyone. I took out my family member and gas cylinder from the house," said Bhupendra Singh who lives in the nearby building.

The four-storey building had a factory on the first floor whereas a tenant was living in the second floor but he was not present at the time of the incident and the third floor was occupied by owner Kishore Aggarwal, 68 yers and family. "We were sleeping when a noise came in my ear and after which my father opened the door only to find the fire. The main staircase was surrounded by smoke so we ran to the terrace," said Ritesh Aggarwal, son of Kishore.

The alert resident brought a ladder from the house of a painter and through the ladder the family came down. There was less escape route in the house and no fire precaution was there. "How the fire started, it is the matter of investigation. There were clothes in the factory which is a combustible substance and acted as a catalyst," said a police officer.

The residents also claimed that the there was cylinder blast however it is the matter of investigation. DCP (Shahdara) Nupur Prasad stated that they have registered a case under 304 A of IPC and further investigation is in progress. Inappropriate use of any building can lead to the fire, claimed officials of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), adding that improper staircases in factories and residences lead to the casualty during a blaze.

On April 16, two labourers died in a fire incident inside the factory in Nawada area of Dwarka district. Last week, four persons of a family killed in a fire which took place at their residence in Kohat Enclave area. On 9 March, five persons were killed in two separate fires at a shoe-manufacturing unit in Delhi's Sultanpuri and Chandni Chowk. More than 10 persons were injured in the fire.

Four more persons had died in four separate fire incidents reported from different parts of Capital including Sarita Vihar and Swaroop Nagar.