India

Fire in Delhi kills 27, dozens injured

Massive fire damages commercial building in Delhi's Mundka. [Photo: Twitter/VSReddy_MP]

New Delhi: At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in a fire at a four-story commercial building in Delhi’s Mundka on Friday evening, reports said.

As per reports quoting police, 11 of the 12 people who were injured have been identified. At least 50 people have been rescued from the building and around 29 are still reported to be missing.

Police added that the ongoing search operation is likely to be completed in the next 3 to 4 hours.

The Delhi Fire Service deployed cranes to rescue those trapped in the blaze, NDTV reported. However, smoke from the fire spread to the entire building and some people jumped off through the windows to save themselves, while some others used ropes to climb down.

The fire started on the first floor of the building, which houses the office of a CCTV camera and router manufacturing company, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sameer Sharma has said.

The owners of the company- Harish Goel and Varun Goe- have been arrested, police said. Their father Amarnath Goel was among those who were killed in the fire. The owner of the building, which did not have safety clearance from the fire department, has been identified as Manish Lakra and he is on the run, police said.

According to fire department officials, information about the blaze was received around 4.40 pm following which 24 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

The divisional officer of the fire department informed that there was only one staircase due to which, people could not escape the building.

Delhi Chief Minister  Arvind Kejriwal also visited the fire incident site. Kejrial said that the Delhi government has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the incident and the culprits will not be spared. He announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of those who were killed. The injured will be given Rs 50,000 each, he said

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are among the several politicians to mourn the loss of lives in the tragic incident.

Modi has said that Rs 2 lakh each will be given to the families of those who lost their lives. The injured will be given Rs 50,000, his office tweeted.

 

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