3 critically injured in fire in north Delhi

The house is suspected to have been illegally used for commercial activities, and police are trying to trace its owner

Two men and a minor were severely burned in a massive fire at a two-storey house in Lahori Gate, north Delhi, around 3.30 am on Friday. The victims, Anas Ahmed (13), Nabi Ahmed (18), and Shahnawaz (30), who are members of the same family, are undergoing treatment in a hospital, police said.

The fire at a factory in Bawana Sector 2 in New Delhi on Saturday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The house is suspected to have been illegally used for commercial activities, and police are trying to trace its owner, officers said. The fire began in the electric meter boards on the ground floor but the cause has yet to be determined, officers said.

“We received a call about the fire at 3.38 am from Farash Khana, Lahori Gate. The house had only one entry/exit, which was blocked by the fire. We rushed five fire tenders, and they managed to control the fire within an hour. We then went inside and found three people who had suffered more than 40% burn injuries, and we rushed them to Lok Nayak Hospital,” said Atul Garg, chief of Delhi Fire Service (DFS).

Police said that Anas sustained 50% burn injuries, and Nabi and Shahnawaz sustained between 40–45% burn injuries. All three are currently unfit to talk to police, officials said.

“The fire started on the ground floor in the electric meter boards, of which there are at least 15. The fire then spread to a bike. The victims were sleeping on the upper floors when the fire reached there, and they got burned while trying to escape,” said a senior fire officer.

Police said another fire was reported in north Delhi on Saturday but there were no casualties or injuries. There was an explosion inside a factory in the DSIIDC Industrial Area in Bawana around 4.30am, which resulted in the three-storeyed building collapsing. A few workers were inside and they managed to escape in time.

The fire was reported to DFS at 4.48am. “We were told it was a factory fire, and later we found that a major portion of the building had collapsed due to blasts. A total of 17 fire tenders were rushed to the site. Luckily, workers had escaped in time. There were no casualties,” said Garg.

Fire officers said they found multiple inflammable materials, including cooking cylinders, inflammable chemicals and other items. Police said a complaint was received and a first information report will be registered.