Fifteen fire engines were rushed to the firecracker warehouse in Delhi's Bawana
New Delhi: Seventeen people including 10 women were killed after a massive fire ripped through a firecracker warehouse in north Delhi's Bawana industrial area on Saturday evening. Two others - a man and a woman - managed to escape; they jumped from the terrace of the three-storey building as the fire spread and have sustained injuries. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the area later in the evening, has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The police have taken one man - said to run the factory - into custody.
Here are the latest developments in this big story:
- 30 people working in the unit were trapped when the fire broke out around 6:20 pm in the ground floor of the facility - which also has a basement - that had only one exit at the front.
- As workers made a frantic bid to escape, two - 24-year-old Roop Prakash and 45-year-old Sunita - ran to the terrace of the building and jumped. Both have suffered fractures in their legs.
- Fifteen fire engines were rushed to the spot; the blaze was brought under control after three hours.
- "One body was recovered from the basement, three from the ground floor and 13 from the first floor," GC Mishra, Director, Delhi Fire Services, said. The police said the victims were either charred or were choked to death.
- "Chinese firecrackers used to be packed in the building... Only packing of firecrackers used to take place, not manufacturing," Roop Prakash, one of the survivors, told NDTV, adding that the unit had started operations just 15 days back.
- A senior police official Rajneesh Gupta said a man named Manoj Jain had been taken into custody. He told cops that he was running the factory alone and had taken it on rent, reports news agency PTI. Earlier, the police had said that he was running the unit in partnership with one Lalit Goel. "Owners have been identified and will be questioned about the licensing aspect and negligence," Mr Gupta said.
- As news of the fire spread, politicians led by union ministers Harsh Vardhan and Vijay Goel rushed to the spot. Delhi's BJP unit slammed the Arvind Kejriwal government, questioning the "delay" by AAP leaders in visiting the site of the tragedy.
- "Almost 5 hours have gone by after the accident and from local AAP MLA to the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, none have yet reached out to victims for help," Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said.
- Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited Bawana around 11 pm, announced a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the family of those killed in the fire.
- "My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. May those who are injured recover quickly," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.
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