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2 arrested after 27 killed in a massive fire in Delhi, building owner absconding: 10 points

May 14, 2022
Bharat Times

The injured have been admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.

New Delhi:
At least 27 people were killed and 12 others were injured when a fire broke out in a four-storey commercial building in west Delhi’s Mundka on Friday evening.

Here are the top 10 updates to this big story:

  1. Police are yet to share details about the identity of the victims. The injured have been admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. At least 60 people have been rescued from the building and some are still trapped inside, police said.

  2. Delhi Fire Service deployed cranes to rescue those trapped in the fire. However, smoke from the fire spread throughout the building and some people jumped out of windows to save themselves, while others used ropes to get down.

  3. Deputy Commissioner of Police (External) Sameer Sharma said the fire started on the first floor of the building, which houses the office of a CCTV camera and router manufacturing company.

  4. The company’s owners Harish Goyal and Varun Goel have been detained, police said. The owner of the building, who did not have a security clearance from the fire department, has been identified as Manish Lakra and is absconding, police said.

  5. A motivational speech program was being organized on the second floor when the fire broke out. Many people attended this program. That’s why most of the deaths happened on this floor, preliminary investigation has indicated.

  6. According to fire brigade officials, information about the blaze was received at around 4.40 pm after which 24 fire tenders were sent to the spot.

  7. The divisional officer of the fire department said that there was only one ladder due to which people could not come out of the building.

  8. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are among several politicians who lost their lives in the tragic incident.

  9. The Prime Minister has said that Rs 2 lakh each will be given to the families of each of those who died. Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured, his office tweeted.

  10. Home Minister Amit Shah said that he is in constant touch with the authorities and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been pressed into service.