New Delhi: Two people lost their lives in a late-night fire that broke out at an e-rickshaw charging point on the ground floor of a residential building in northeast Delhi’s Tahirpur Kodi Colony area.
The police were alerted about the incident through a PCR call received at the Nand Nagri Police Station.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 11:39 pm on June 8 and was reported to the Nand Nagri Police Station.
Four fire tenders were rushed to the scene, and the fire was eventually brought under control by 12:35 am.
According to fire department officials, the blaze originated from two e-rickshaws and a motorcycle that were parked at a charging point on the ground floor of the three-storey building.
A short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire, which quickly spread and engulfed the vehicles, causing thick smoke and flames that trapped individuals inside.
Local police and beat staff from Nand Nagri police station, including Head Constable Rajkumar, promptly responded to the emergency.
They managed to evacuate one woman, identified as Meera Devi, from the building. However, two individuals sustained severe burn injuries and were rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead.
According to the Delhi Fire Service (DFS), a fire call was received at 11.32 pm from Tahirpur’s Kodi Colony, following which four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was brought under control, and a cooling operation was carried out to prevent any re-ignition, an official said.
The deceased have been identified as Shashi (24), a resident of the house, and Ballu (55), believed to be a vagabond who may have been sheltering near the site.
Shashi lived in the house with his parents and
three brothers.
Following the incident, the Crime Team and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Team visited the location to
collect evidence.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the cause of the fire was a short circuit at the e-rickshaw
charging point.
The ground floor of the house, measuring approximately 25 square yards, was being used for commercial battery charging purposes.
The police have registered a case under sections 106(1) and 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and handed over further investigation to ASI Kripal of PS Nand Nagri. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Authorities are now probing possible negligence and whether the premises had appropriate fire safety arrangements in place for operating a charging station within a residential property.
Meanwhile, police said that action will be taken against illegal e-rickshaw charging stations in the national capital, which cause an estimated loss of around Rs 120 crore annually besides posing safety risks.
“We are noticing many such incidents in the city in the last month. Such illegal e-rickshaw charging stations are posing a threat to lives. We have asked all officials to collect the data of the illegal charging stations in their districts and to make an action plan against them,” a senior police officer said.