Delhi: Minor among five charred to death in separate cases

New Delhi: Five persons were charred to death while four people, including a three-year-old girl, were injured in three separate fire incidents in the city on Sunday early morning.

The first incident was reported in Outer Delhi’s Sultanpuri area where a wedding function turned mournful after a 30-year-old pregnant lady, Anjali, and her 13-year-old niece, Aditi, died after a fire broke out in their house in the early hours of Sunday.

“An eight-year-old girl, Taviska, who is Anjali’s da-ughter, is severely injured and is currently being treated at AIIMS Trauma Centre,” DCP (Outer) M.N. Tewari said.

A case has been registered under relevant sections. Anjali was seven months pregnant.

A senior police official with the fire department said that prima facie it seems that the fire broke out after the compressor of the air-conditioner located at the ground floor exploded. The curtains and the wooden doors caught fire. By the time anyone could wake up, the fire turned huge. The women were sleeping on the top floor of the building and could not escape. A forensic team has visited the spot to find out the reason of fire.

Locals alleged that they immediately informed the fire department and the police about the incident but fire tenders were late.

In the second incident, a 50-year-old man died when a major fire engulfed a godown in Malviya Nagar. Around 30 shanties in the vicinity were gutted. The deceased was identified as Ashok Gupta. A fire official said that 25 fire tenders were rushed to the spot and one charred body was found on the spot.

A senior official said that the Delhi government announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the family of Ashok Gupta.

Besides, the government has also offered to provide Rs 25,000 for each affected household.

Meanwhile, deputy CM Manish Sisodia has directed all district magistrates to conduct a survey in their respective areas to identify such spots, including scrap godowns, which are vulnerable.

The third incident was reported in South East Delhi’s Sriniwaspuri area at around 8.20 pm on Saturday where a gas cylinder exploded while two men were preparing food in their jhuggi.

The deceased were identified as Vasudev (50) and his son Arjun (18), who worked as a labourer.