Two arrested over Narela shoe factory fire as toll rises to three

Deputy commissioner of police (Outer North) Devesh Mahala said the arrested have been identified as Sahil Garg, 30, a resident of Pitampura who owns the factory, and Vasudev Yadav, 35, the supervisor and labour contractor at the factory.

Police on Wednesday said that they have arrested two people in connection with the fire that broke out at a footwear manufacturing factory in outer Delhi’s Narela Industrial Area, even as the death toll in the incident rose to three after a worker succumbed to his injuries.

New Delhi, India - Nov. 2, 2022: A view of the footwear factory where a massive fire broke out yesterday killing two people at the Narela Industrial Area in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Deputy commissioner of police (Outer North) Devesh Mahala said the arrested have been identified as Sahil Garg, 30, a resident of Pitampura who owns the factory, and Vasudev Yadav, 35, the supervisor and labour contractor at the factory.

Police said the factory started operations in 2018 and the accused used to sell their products locally. “The building is in the name of Garg’s 58-year-old father and we are examining his role as part of the investigation,” the DCP said.

The fire, which broke out at the factory on Tuesday morning, took several hours to quell, police officers aware of the matter said. Two workers, identified as Akhil Kumar, 20 and Sonu Thakur, 24, had died on the same day while being taken to hospital, while a third worker, identified as Sameer, 17, succumbed to his injuries at Safdarjung Hospital on Wednesday.

A senior police officer who declined to be named said 17 workers continue to be admitted at Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, with at least three said to be critical.

A visit to the factory revealed that apart from the single point of entry and exit, which made escape in case of fire extremely difficult, the small windows were covered with iron grills.

“Thankfully, the roof’s door was open and a lot of workers could reach the top and save themselves. But we could only enter and exit from the main door at the front,” said Suraj Kumar, a worker at the factory who had a narrow escape.

Workers denied seeing a fire extinguisher or an emergency exit in the building.

A worker who asked to remain unnamed said the factory had a basement and three floors. “I am not sure how many people were working in the factory but we were more than 30,” he said.

A fire official on Tuesday had confirmed that the factory did not have a fire no-objection certificate (NOC).

“We are examining the documents of the factory including lack of a fire NOC. Also, there were at least 20 employees working here which may mean that they are also flouting labour laws,” the senior police officer quoted above said.

According to labour laws, wherever twenty or more people are working, they need to be registered and covered under Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).