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Four killed in fire, Yamunanagar scrap godown owner booked
A scrap godown owner was booked on charges of causing death due to negligence after a 35-year-old labourer and his three children died due to fire at his store on City Centre Road in Yamunanagar on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, police said
A scrap godown owner was booked on charges of causing death due to negligence after a 35-year-old labourer and his three children died due to fire at his store on City Centre Road in Yamunanagar on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, police said.
The suspect was identified as Naveen, while the deceased were Niyamuddin alias Raju (36), a labourer at a plywood factory, and his kids Fiza (12), Chand (8) and Rihan alias Chotu (3), all from Bihar’s East Champaran district. The wife Nasima (30) managed to escape with minor injuries.
Civil surgeon Dr Vijay Dahiya said excessive suffocation and burns were ascertained as the cause of death. “The bodies were handed over to the family after autopsies were conducted. The wife is undergoing treatment at a civil hospital and is out of danger,” Dr Dahiya said.
The family was living in the quarters behind the godown near OP Jindal Park along with six other families from the past five years. At least 18 residents were rescued by the police and fire officials. A cow and a calf also got burnt during the incident, Niyamuddin’s brother Kaimudeen said.
He alleged that Naveen had stuffed huge quantities of scrap (more than the godown capacity) and many loose wires were hanging over the godown, about which, he, his brother and other tenants had complained about, fearing the risk of fire due to the presence of inflammable items.
“Naveen told us that this is their work. I got to know about the fire at the godown at 2am. Police and fire officials broke walls of the quarters and rescued my brother’s family but four of them died while undergoing treatment,” Kaimudeen said.
He alleged that the fire took place due to short circuit and his family members died due to Naveen’s negligence.
Sub-inspector Dal Singh, SHO of Yamunanagar city police station, said the owner has been booked under Sections 338, 427, 429 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and is yet to be arrested.
Fire officer Parmod Duggal said six fire tenders managed to douse the fire in three hours.
On being asked about fire NOC with the owner, he said, “He had no such certificate and was running a temporary structure.”
Mayor Madan Mohan Chauhan said a probe will be initiated, while deputy commissioner Parth Gupta said the public works department (B&R) will conduct a checking of the building, to ascertain that there is no damage to the neighbouring structure if it collapses.
