Ghasola slum fire: Police told to book landowner

Gurugram SDM Sanjeev Singla turned his vehicle to the site of the fire after spotting smoke

The Gurugram administration has asked police to register a case against the landowner and probe the slum fire in Ghasola village in which more than huts were burned to the ground. The fire broke out on Saturday morning.

Residents who lost their huts and belongings to the fire have been sheltered in a government primary school. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Sanjeev Singla, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Gurugram, said that a probe has been initiated against the people who had built illegal huts on the land which had been acquired by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda).

Singla was among the first officials to reach the spot, as he spotted smoke billowing out near Vatika crossing on Sohna Road. “I was on my way to attend an event at the Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) when I noticed smoke coming out near the crossing. I decided to turn my car towards the spot, as I realised that a fire had broken out. When I reached the slums, I found that a massive fire had engulfed the cluster. I saw small LPG cylinders blowing up.”

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Singla said that a prompt response by fire fighters and evacuation by officials of the district administration 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 they were eventually rescued and reunited with their families,” Singla said.

Residents who lost their huts and belongings in the fire have been sheltered at a nearby government primary school. Officials said that the process of rehabilitating the victims is already under way and a water tanker and mobile toilets have also been arranged for them near the school.

“We have provided food and shelter for the victims. They were served lunch at a government school 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,” Singla said.