Six members of family injured as roof collapse causes fire in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Six members of a family were injured when the roof of their two-storey house collapsed and caused a fire in outer north Delhi on Sunday, police said.

The incident occurred in Shani Bazar area around 7 am while the family was reportedly cooking, resulting in impact and burn injuries, they said.

“We received a call regarding a fire and building collapse in Shani Bazar area of Narela at 7.53 am. Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately,” Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg said. He said that the roof of DDA Janta flat collapsed resulting in the PNG gas pipe line to break and cause fire. The fire spread across the house.

Raju (40), his wife Rajeshwari (35), their son Rahul (18), and their three daughters -- Mohini (12), Varsha (5) and Mahi (3) -- were in the kitchen when the roof caved in trapping them under the debris, a police officer said.

He said that neighbours rushed to the spot to help the injured before emergency services arrived.

“Initially we received a call regarding cylinder blast at NIA police station area. The matter was informed to the Delhi Fire Services and teams were rushed to the spot,” the officer said.

Eyewitnesses initially feared that a cylinder explosion might have caused the collapse. However, after a thorough inspection it was confirmed that there was no blast, he said.

The officer said that the injured were taken to Raja Harishchandra hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

Doctors reported that the family sustained a mix of impact and burn injuries from debris and proximity to a

cooking fire. Raju suffered 52 per cent burns, his wife and son 45 per cent each, and his daughters Mohini, Varsha, and Mahi sustained 50 per cent, 6 per cent, and 8 per cent burns, respectively. Further investigation is ongoing,

the officer added.