A month of Delhi's Mundka fire: Five yet to be identified, relatives waiting for death papers

Since 27 people were reported missing after the blaze and the rescuers found the remains of exactly the same number of people, it was presumed that all of those reported missing died.

A month after the Mundka factory fire in which 27 people were killed, families of several victims are still waiting to collect bodies as not all of them have been identified yet, while some others are waiting to get a death certificate.

The Mundka fire is one of the worst fire incidents that Delhi has seen since the 2019 Anaj Mandi tragedy that claimed 43 lives. (Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times)

A devastating fire broke out in a CCTV assembling unit located in a four-story building in north-west Delhi’s Mundka on May 13. The illegal building and the factory proved a death trap since it had just one stairway and no fire fighting equipment. The bodies of the victims were charred beyond recognition, and the police had to get DNA tests to establish their identities. Hoewever, remains of five people are yet to be recognised.

Since 27 people were reported missing after the blaze and the rescuers found the remains of exactly the same number of people, it was presumed that all of those reported missing died.

According to the police, those whose bodies have not been identified yet are Parveen, Soni Kumari, Sweety, Nisha and one more person whose name could not be confirmed.

Families of the ones who are still officially reported “missing” have been waiting for bodies anxiously. While some are eager to receive the bodies, some have more practical concerns such as pending documentation work.

Parveen’s brother Pawan, a resident of Patel Nagar, said Parveen’s body is yet to be identified because of which his death certificate has also not been made. “My brother had insurance policies. He also had come money in his bank account. None of these assets can be claimed by his family until a death certificate is issued. His wife and three kids are managing with the help of family members so far,” he said.

Family members of the missing persons said that they had gone to meet police officials at Mundka police station on Sunday and were told that the DNA results will come by Tuesday or Wednesday, they said.

Deputy commissioner of police (north-west) Sameer Sharma said that police may receive more DNA reports from FSL on Thursday which might bring more clarity.

Manoj Thakur, Soni Kumari’s husband, said he has not had a closure till now. “It’s been a month, and last rites must be performed for the soul’s peaceful transition. The least they can do for us is to give us the bodies of our family members,” he said.

Monika’s father, Vijay Bahadur Tiwari, who is a resident of Kirari, recalled that his daughter had been working in the factory for only four months when the incident took place. Tiwari, who drives an e-rickshaw, said he has not been able to work because of the shock. “How can we go back to work when we know our daughter is dead and we still don’t have her body. We keep thinking and talking about it. Once the last rites are done, we can move on but it’s impossible to even feel normal till then,” he said.

Forensic Science Laboratory officials had said that because the high intensity of burns, they were facing difficulty in generating a DNA profile, and added that some bodies may not be identified at all.