More than 100 families homeless after fire breaks out at Sector 49 slum in Gurugram

The homeless shanty dwellers, mostly from West Bengal and Bihar, were spotted sifting the ashes to retrieve whatever belongings they could find. Most of them work as domestic helpers or daily wage labourers at construction sites, officials said

At least 100 families became homeless at Ghasola in Sector 49 after a massive fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon, said police.

Gurugram, India-February 14, 2023: Fire fighters trying to douse off fire gutted inside a slum area at Ghasola village sector-49 near Uppal Southend society in Gurugram, India, on Tuesday, 14 February 2023. More than 100 Jhuggis gutted in fire due to an unknown reason (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Fire department officials said no casualties were reported in the incident, but a man suffered burn injuries. The fire was brought under control after three hours, they said.

Incidentally, this is the third incident of fire in the slum clusters of the area in the last 12 months, fire officials added.

According to the fire department, the fire is suspected to have started from a short circuit, which could have led to cooking cylinder blasts, thereby increasing the intensity of the fire.

The fire broke out at around 1.30pm and 12 fire tenders from Sector 29, Udyog Vihar, Bhim Nagar, Sohna and Sector 37 fire stations along with 55 firefighters were sent to the spot, officials added.

“Residents who lost their huts and belongings in the fire have been sheltered at a nearby government primary school. The process of rehabilitating the victims is already underway and proper arrangements have been made to ensure that their needs are catered to till such time they are rehabilitated. They will be provided free meals till they are shifted to an alternative location. We will not compromise on their welfare,” said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Gurugram deputy commissioner.

Gulshan Kalra, deputy director (technical), Haryana Fire and Emergency Services, said a man who suffered burn injuries on his hand and face was taken to a private hospital and is reported to be stable.

“Our teams reached the spot as soon as we received information. We were able to save at least 200 shanties from getting reduced to ashes else the situation would have been much worse. Prima facie, it is suspected that the fire started from one of the shanties due to a short-circuit, and it later spread to other shanties as several cooking gas cylinders exploded,” Kalra said.

Kalra said the shanties were made with bamboo, wood, plastic pipes and were covered with tarpaulin sheets due to which fire spread quickly.

The homeless shanty dwellers, mostly from West Bengal and Bihar, were spotted sifting the ashes to retrieve whatever belongings they could find. Most of them work as domestic helpers or daily wage labourers at construction sites, officials said.

Alamgir Sheikh (32), one of the dwellers, said he was returning home from his night shift when he saw flames coming from the slum. His hutment was reduced to ashes. “I am left with nothing. This is the second time I have lost everything I earned. I will return to my village as this city has taken away more than what I earned in the last six years,” he said.

Rukmani Bibi (36), said she was out for work and her children were sleeping when the fire broke out. “My neighbours woke up the children, else they would have been burnt alive. I had lost my husband last year and had come here in search of work with the money I received after selling my house. I have no idea what I will do now,” she said.

Ashadul Sarkar (24), hailing from Malda in West Bengal, said he had taken two months’ salary in advance from his employer for his cousin sister’s wedding. “I had kept the money under my mattress as we don’t have an almirah. I had gone to drop my elder brother to the bus stand and when I returned, everything was gone,” he said.

Residents of nearby condominiums and townships reached the site with milk packets, bread, biscuits and other eatables to distribute among the affected families.

Sanjeev Balhara, assistant commissioner of police (Sadar), said that police teams are helping to make arrangements for the homeless people who have lost their hutments and are helping the administration to provide food to them. He said that a prompt response by the firefighters helped avert a disaster.

“After the fire was doused, we met the people who were looking frantically for their children. A team was formed to search for the missing children and all of them were rescued and reunited with their families,” ACP Balhara said.

The ACP said police have recorded statements of the affected people who were paying rent to the contractor and have complained against him. “The land belongs to a Badshahpur resident and he had rented it out to two contractors who had built these shanties and given them on rent,” he said.

Nazrul Sheikh, one of the contractors, said he had constructed and handed over the huts a long time ago. “I was charging ₹2,500 for each hut and in return they were provided with electricity, water, washroom facility and a room. I am not aware of the cause of the fire,” he said.