Two persons including a five-year-old girl were killed, as 15 others suffered burn injuries after a major fire broke out in the wee hours in Outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri area.
Three brothers lived with their families in a three-storey building in close proximity and all the three residences were gutted in the incident.
The fire initiated from the house of Deen Dayal, in which his five-year-old daughter Gayatri and his sister-in-law Surekha (28) were killed. Deen Dayal’s mother – Maya and brother, Bhupender suffered severe burn injuries and they have been referred to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment. Those injured, include four children.
The other severely injured are being treated at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital; however, some of them were discharged after first aid. “We have registered a case under Section 304A IPC (causing death by negligence) in this connection and further investigations are on,” said a senior police official.
According to the fire department, the fire broke out around 3.38 am, following which 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
“The cause of fire seems to be a short circuit. The families used to make mats at their house; the sparks fell on the raw material stashed in the residences, causing the fire to spread quickly,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) offered deep condolences and sympathies to the families of the deceased and those injured in the accident. “It seems that the fire incident broke out due to unauthorised storage of inflammable wooden mesh in the area. TPDDL safety team officials reached the spot within 10-15 minutes of the incident and helped in relief and rescue,” said Ajay Maharaj, dead of department, corporate communication.
He further added that TPDDL’s team has checked the location and confirmed that the fire did not break out due to any fault in TPDDL’s network. However, the exact cause of fire could not be ascertained then.