14/05/2022, Suman Sengupta, Asiana Times
On Friday evening, a fire broke out in a four-storey building near Mundka station. Till now 50 people have been rescued so far , 27 dead, 12injured, 2 arrested and several reported missing, owner absconding.
Yesterday a fire broke out in a four-storey commercial building near Mundka metro station, New Delhi. The building houses a car showroom and an office.Its owner lives on the top floor. 26 people died in the fire accident yesterday. Casualties have currently increased to 27 and are likely to go up. Also some of the bodies recovered have charred beyond recognition. The blaze left 12 people injured currently. At least 50 people were present in the building when the fire broke out.
The fire broke at around 4:40 PM near pillar number 544 of the Mnearby metro station. It started on the first floor of the building which housed an office manufacturing Wi-Fi routers and CCTV cameras. There was a also seminar taking place on the second floor when the fire broke . Delhi Police have arrested Harish Goel and Varun Goerl, the two owners of the firm, late at night.
The Building was Not Certified
Officials from the NDRF are conducting search and rescue operations inside the building. According to Delhi Police, Manish Lakra, the owner of the building is currently absconding. DCP Sameer Sharma has said that police teams are searching for him.
According to the fire chief, the building did not have a fire NOC (no objection certificate). Sunil Chadha, the general secretary of the Mundka industrial area society, says that the building has been rented by several outlets. There used to be a car showroom there too.
The fire near Mundka is one of the worst fire incidents New Delhi has ever witnessed. In 2019, a fire in Anaj Mandi left 43 people dead. In the Mundka area scenes of despair have emerged. There are reports of people jumping from the flaming building. This was because there was only a single staircase. And this made any exit difficult for many people. Also there are reports showing that the building had little to no fire control capabilities thus making it a death trap for it’s occupants.
Firefighting and rescue operations began after the fire broke out in the evening. Fireman doused the fire by 11 PM and cooling operations began immediately. Later, by 1:17 AM, Fire officials had completely brought the fire under control. Delhi Police is investigating the cause behind the fire. They have also prepared a list of 29 persons missing in the fire. Subsequently,an FIR was registered for causing death due to negligence, culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy.
Prime Minister and President Offer Condolences
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind offered their condolences on Twitter. The Prime Minister tweeted: “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire in Delhi. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.” Subsequently, he has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the of the kin of the deceased. A sum of Rs 50,000 has also been announced for the injured.
President Kovind also tweeted: “Distressed by the tragic fire accident at a building near Mundka station in Delhi. My condolences to the bereaved families. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured a speedy recovery.”
Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister, tweeted:
“Shocked and pained to know about this tragic incident. I am constantly on touch with officers. Our brave firemen are trying their best to control the fire and save lives. God bless all”.
“Rahul Gandhi, of Congress, too had offered his condolences. He said: Pained by the tragic loss of lives in the Delhi fire near Mundka metro station. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
(Inputs from Times of India, ANI and Hindustan Times).
