One suffers 100% burns, 3 others hurt in fire at illegal firecracker factory in Delhi’s Burari

Police said that according to an initial probe, the firecracker factory was run on the ground floor and the workers were accommodated on the first floor

New Delhi

The entire facility on the ground floor was gutted in the incident. (HT Photo)

One person suffered 100% burns and three others suffered varying degrees of injuries in an explosion at an illegal firecracker factory being run in a residential building in north Burari on Sunday, police said. The facility was operating on the ground floor and the intensity of the blast was so high that a fire department official was also injured during the rescue operation.

Police said they would register an FIR to initiate legal action against the factory owner and the building owner.

Atul Garg, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief, said they were informed about the fire around 4.30pm. “A total of five fire tenders were rushed to the site. We found there was an explosion in a firecracker factory on the ground floor of a house. Some persons got burn injuries and were rushed to hospital,” he said.

The victims were identified as Himanshu Singh (27), Anand Kumar (24), Ravi Prakash (22) and Vijay Pandey (22).

Fire officials said that Singh suffered 100% burn injuries and was referred to the LNJP Hospital, where his condition is critical. Kumar and Prakash suffered 25% burn injuries, and Pandey suffered 40% burn injuries.

Garg said DFS official Devender Sandhu sustained injuries to his right hand while trying to douse the fire due to a small explosion.

Police said that according to an initial probe, the firecracker factory was run on the ground floor and the workers were accommodated on the first floor.

Fire officials said there was no alternative exit or ventilation point for workers, and the owner did not have a commercial permit.