NEW DELHI: 17 people, including 10 women, died in a major fire at a two-storey firecracker warehouse in north Delhi’s Bawana Industrial Area on Saturday evening. The blaze, which started on the storage unit on the ground floor, ripped through the building, a fire services official said.
The Delhi government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, late on Saturday night, visited the spot. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
“13 people died on the first floor, three on the ground and one in the basement,” a fire services official said. The police, which filed a complaint, said two people were injured in the fire and have been admitted to a hospital.
The Delhi Fire Services say they received a call about the blaze at the factory around 6.20 pm and fire engines were rushed to the spot immediately. The fire has been brought under control. One of the workers, in a bid to escape the fire, jumped off the second floor and fractured his leg. The police said the people were either charred or got choked to death.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the death of people in the fire. “My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. May those who are injured recover quickly,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted quoting the PM.
Delhi minister Satyendar Jain tweeted to say, “Learnt about a serious fire incident in a private factory at Bawana. Several casualties reported. Monitoring the situation. Ordered enquiry (sic).”
North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal too rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. “The factory falls in the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) area,” a senior NDMC official said.
With inputs from PTI
