Building, fire tragedies: A year of disasters ends

The reporter’s notepad is scribbled with death tolls in 2011, the year of terror, fire incidents, building collapses and an air ambulance crash. Rajat Arora reports.

The reporter’s notepad is scribbled with death tolls in 2011, the year of terror, fire incidents, building collapses and an air ambulance crash.

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Delhi was on an anti-corruption high before the high court blast, which killed 15 people and injured 76. About 20 days later, on September 26, a 100-year-old building collapsed in old Delhi’s Chandni Mahal, killing seven.

All was well until November 20, when a fire engulfed a community centre in Nand Nagri, where eunuchs from across the country were holding a congregation. Eighteen eunuchs were killed. In December, a four-storey building collapsed in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar area, killing four persons.
There was also the Faridabad air ambulance crash in May, which killed 10 people.

Delhi high court blast
September 7, a Wednesday, took away 15 innocent lives and injured 76 others when a high-intensity blast ripped the high court. But little was felt by the political class who said the blast was due to intelligence failure. Though the relief in the form of compensation was quick, the case still remains unsolved.

Nand Nagri fire tragedy
On November 20, a conclave of eunuchs was underway in the Nand Nagri when a fire broke out. Eighteen eunuchs were charred to death and 33 injured. The incident had Delhi government officials confused over the issue of compensation as the eunuchs have no family or relatives, only gurus and chelas.

Building collapses
There were two instances of building collapse this year, raising safety concerns. On September 27, a building in Chandni Mahal area of old Delhi collapsed, killing seven persons and injuring 25. On December 4, a three-storey building collapsed in Uttam Nagar, killing four — three from the same family.

Faridabad air ambulance crash
On the night of May 25, an air ambulance from Patna crashed minutes before it was to enter Delhi. The plane carrying a patient, his cousin, three hospital staffers along with two crew members crashed on a two-storey building in Parvatiya colony in Faridabad. Ten people were killed, including all those on board.