Three women die in jhuggi fire in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, three left injured

A woman and her two daughters, one of whom was pregnant died in a fire that broke out in the jhuggis in north-west Delhi’s Jahangirpuri. Three others sustained burn injuries. Fire officials said a cylinder blast in one of the jhuggis had caused the fire.

A woman and her two daughters, one of whom was pregnant died in a fire that broke out in the jhuggis in north-west Delhi’s Jahangirpuri. Three others sustained burn injuries. Fire officials said a cylinder blast in one of the jhuggis had caused the fire.

Fire officials said a cylinder blast in one of the jhuggis had caused the fire. (HT file)

Police said at around 9.30 pm on Tuesday, there was a cylinder blast inside Mithelesh’s jhuggi. Mithelesh along with her two daughters Kavita,20, and Anjali,15, were charred to death. Kavita was three months pregnant, relatives told police. Anjali’s husband who was also inside the house managed to escape.

The cylinder, police said was leaking. When Mithelesh went to the kitchen area to prepare dinner she failed to detect the gas leakage and lit a matchstick. This led to a blast and the fire engulfed the entire jhuggi. The three trapped inside were charred to death.

“The locals ran to rescue the women, but the fire spread very quickly and no one could enter the jhuggi. The locals then made a PCR call and informed the fire department. Help, locals said, reached then within 20 minutes. The fire team doused the flames in half an hour and pulled out the charred bodies from inside the jhuggi. All three woman sustained 100 percent burn wounds. Their bodies have been sent for postmortem examination,” a senior police officer said.