In Delhi’s worst fire tragedy in 20 years, at least 43 people were killed at Filmistan’s Anaj Mandi area in central Delhi last week, when a blaze caused by a suspected short-circuit turned a five-storey building - where 100-150 workers were asleep - into a gas chamber, choking most of the victims to death.
It was a disaster waiting to happen. The building housed over a dozen illegal manufacturing units and warehouses being run from ill-ventilated rooms filled with combustible materials. There was just one narrow entrance to the building spread across an area of 500 square yards, which ensured that fire trucks and officials didn’t have proper access to the site.
The fire is believed to have started on the second floor and quickly spread through stacks of paper, cardboard, plastic and other items lying around. The units doubled up as residence for the labourers at night. Before many of them on the third and fourth floors could realise what was happening, they had passed out due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Fire and Delhi Police officials said a total of 64 people were rescued from the building by firemen and sent to LNJP Hospital, Lady Hardinge and RML hospitals. Out of these, 43 died, 39 of them due to asphyxiation. Most of the workers were sleeping on the ground and first floors, and escaped without injuries.
Building had blaze in March this year
Delhi Police said the owner of the building, Rehan, along with the manager, Furkaan, were arrested and a case under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) registered. Monika Bhardwaj, deputy commissioner of police (north) said a major part of the building was owned by Rehan while two small portions on different floors were owned by two other people. “We are verifying the details. A case under section of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered at Sadar Bazaar police station. The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch,” Bharadwaj said. The area of Anaj Mandi – with its congested bylanes and wires hanging low from each lane is notorious for fire incidents. Barely 24 hours before this fire broke out, the area had seen a similar fire in a building 50 metres away. No one was injured in that fire.
Locals said the same building which caught fire also had another blaze in March this year, in which no one was injured. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the site and ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, announced a financial relief of Rs 10,00,000 to the kin of each deceased and Rs 100,000 to those injured. PM Narendra Modi, meanwhile, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 200,000 each for the next of kin of those who died, while Rs 50,000 will be provided to those who got injured. The fire department, which received a call only around 5.20am, said the task of rescuing people was not only made difficult due to the narrow lanes, but also because the call was made late and after all efforts to douse the fire had failed. A total of 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. However, only one fire truck could enter the narrow lane where this building existed, fire officials said.
