New Delhi: Different floor occupancy can be one of the reasons which led to the mass casualty in Anaj Mandi fire on Sunday. According to Delhi Fire Services, the building was rented to several people. "The owners of the rented factories had kept raw materials and their labourers due to which the building had very less open space," DFS official said.
Delhi Fire Services, Director Atul Garg said, "The owners tried to secure more space in the factory due to which the factory was fully packed. There was very less space to escape. The building was congested." The design of the building was not meant for the factory.
According to officials, cardboards were the major catalyst that helps the fire to spread on various floors of the
building. "Situation in which these labourers were living was highly dangerous. They were living in between gas cylinders, combustible materials," a DFS official added. No panic alarm, no fire fighting equipment and commercial work at the residential building, were among the many instances of negligence found by Delhi Police during its investigation of the Anaj Mandi inferno at North Delhi.
According to police, there was no arrangement for fire safety inside the building. "There was no escape route in the building," said an official privy to the investigation. Meanwhile, there were four power connections and illegal sub-meters were installed for tenants, an aspect which is being looked into, police said.