NEW DELHI: In the worst fire tragedy in the city since the Uphaar accident, 17 people were killed and 30 hurt when an illegal firecracker factory was gutted in outer Delhi’s Bawana Industrial area on Saturday evening. The toll may go up as many others are feared trapped inside. The owners of the factory had a licence to make plastic products.

Among those killed were eight women and two children. The victims, mostly labourers, were trapped inside a room as escape routes were blocked due to unauthorised construction.

“Initially, we were told that the building was vacant. But a boy who had saved his life by jumping off the first floor told us that there were people trapped inside,” fire officials said. They said 13 bodies were recovered from the first floor, three from the ground floor and one from the basement. The injured were rushed to Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital in Shahbad Dairy.

Fire officials suspect that phosphorus used for making crackers could have caused the fire. Twenty fire tenders fought for four hours to douse the blaze. Fire service chief GC Mishra said they got a call around 6.30pm and fire engines were immediately sent. But the blaze spread rapidly.

Police have caught one Manoj Jain and are trying to verify if he and his partner Lalit Goel were the owners/ tenants of the building. A case under 304 A (causing death due to negligence) and 285 IPC (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) has been filed. DCP (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said a probe has been initiated.

The Delhi government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for those who died in the fire tragedy.



In Video: Fire at illegal cracker factory in Delhi's Bawana: 10 women, 7 men charred to death