ZCZC
BFF-16
INDIA-FIRE-ACCIDENT-2NDLEAD
At least 35 killed in Delhi factory fire
NEW DELHI, Dec 8, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – At least 35 people have died in a
factory fire in India’s capital New Delhi, with the toll still expected to
rise, police told AFP Sunday.
The blaze broke out in the early hours in the city’s old quarter, whose
narrow and congested lanes are lined with many small manufacturing and
storage units.
“We… have since rescued at least 50 people,” Sunil Choudhary, New Delhi’s
deputy chief fire officer, told AFP.
They were “labourers and factory workers sleeping inside this four- or
five-storied building,” he said, adding that the fire had been extinguished
but rescue operations were ongoing.
A senior Delhi police official said eight or nine people were carried out
later, bringing the overall number rescued to at least 58.
Fire officials said it was very difficult to access the dark, poorly lit
premises in the commercial hub of Sadar Bazar.
Local news channels aired footage of firemen carrying people out of the
narrow lanes to nearby emergency vehicles.
The building was filled with school bags and packing material, fire
officials said, but cautioned they were still unsure about the cause of the
blaze.
“All the rescued persons were rushed to the nearby local hospitals, which
have already confirmed 35 deaths. Some of the others are also in a serious
state,” Sadar Bazar’s assistant commissioner of police told AFP.
“Most who’ve died were sleeping when the fire broke out and died due to
asphyxiation,” they said.
The police officer — who said emergency personnel remained on the scene —
also warned that the toll was likely to rise as “many others are in a
critical condition”.
Many factories and small manufacturing units in big Indian cities are often
located in old, cramped quarters of the cities, where the cost of land is
relatively cheaper.
Such units often also serve as sleeping quarters for poor, mostly migrant
labourers and workers, who manage to save money by sleeping overnight at
their workplaces.
Lack of planning and lax enforcement of building and safety regulations
often leads to such deadly accidents.
“The fire in Delhi’s Anaj Mandi on Rani Jhansi Road is extremely horrific.
My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones,” Prime Minister
Narendra Modi posted on Twitter.
“Wishing the injured a quick recovery. Authorities are providing all
possible assistance at the site of the tragedy,” he added.
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, described the incident as
“very very tragic news.”
“Rescue operations going on. Firemen doing their best. Injured are being
taken to hospitals,” Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1211 hrs