Delhi fire: Bengal CM Mamata announces Rs 2L compensation

kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the family member of each of the four deceased persons from who died in a fire that broke out in a house in Delhi.

“In an extremely tragic fire incident in Delhi, we lost 3 precious lives from Malda & 1 from Uttar Dinajpur. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Along with a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs, all kinds of support will be extended to the families of the victims,” Banerjee tweeted on Saturday.

The victims have been identified as Fazlur Chowdhury (42), Mohana Jahedul Haque (40), Tulu Sheikh (40), all hailing from Malda and Fatirul Sheikh of Islampur in North Dinajpur.

Another two persons who have sustained injuries also hail from Englishbazar in Malda.

In the freak accident, six people, including a toddler, suffocated to death after a lit mosquito coil tipped over on a mattress and sparked a fire at a house in northeast Delhi’s Shastri Park, police said on Friday. They lost consciousness after inhaling toxic fume released by the fire and eventually died, they said.

Eyewitnesses said four bodies were found on the stairs and the toddler was found inside the room on the first floor. Two persons who suffered burn injuries were under treatment and three have been discharged.

The residents had gone to sleep after Sehri, which is consumed before day-break during Ramzan, and the fire broke out after that, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Joy Tirkey said they received information about the incident at Mazar Wala Road in Machhi Market around 9 am. After reaching there, police found that nine people were taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, the DCP said.

The fire department said three water tenders were rushed to douse the fire.