27 people died from Fire inside commercial building in Mundka : Delhi

HnExpress Mayank Chakravarty, Delhi : At least 27 people died inside a four-storey commercial building near Mundka Metro station in Outer Delhi due to Fire tragedy on Friday. Officials feared the toll could go up. CCTVs, WiFi routers and other electrical equipment were manufactured in the building. Officials said the fire is likely to have started from the first floor, where a generator was kept, and spread to the second and third floors, where dozens found themselves trapped.The power went off and a staff member went downstairs to check the generator. He noticed a fire had broken out there.

People tried to leave, but there was just one exit and no way to reach it. It was absolute chaos. People tried to escape the building using a rope, hanging from broken windows. At least 12 people were injured. Families of those trapped first started receiving distress calls around 4.45 pm, around the same time locals in the area spotted plumes of smoke, and then flames, engulf the building. A motivational speech event was being held on the second floor when the fire broke out. Many people were attending this programme.

So most deaths took place on this floor, the preliminary probe has indicated.Delhi Chief Minister Mr Kejriwal who visited the place of incident said that the Delhi government has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of those who were killed. The injured will be given Rs 50,000 each. Meanwhile The Prime Minister has also said that Rs 2 lakh each will be given to the families of those who lost their lives.

The injured will be given Rs 50,000, his office tweeted.Delhi Fire Service Chief Officer Atul Garg has said there were many major loopholes in the commercial building that caught fire in Mundka on Friday. Garg said the building was not approved and had no NOC, adding there was only one exit gate and no fire protection. It was overloaded with a lot of material and there was no proper compartment, he said. A lot of plastic was used in the factory.Moreover, 50-60 people were there in a single room and the room was locked from outside, he said.

The owners of the company- Harish Goel and Varun Goel- have been arrested, police said. Their father Amarnath Goel was among those who were killed in the fire. The owner of the building, which did not have safety clearance from the fire department, has been identified as Manish Lakra and he is on the run, police said.BJP MP Hans Raj Hans visited the scene of the Mundka fire and lashed out at the AAP government for not properly checking the fire licenses and the owners of the building.Ruling AAP accused back as building was operating despite not having clearances from the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi.