A massive fire broke out at a slum cluster and gutted many shanties near the Kankrola village in Sector 6, IMT Manesar, in Gurgaon Monday night. “It all happened quite fast. My wife and my maternal aunt were cooking when we saw a huge fire outside. In the chaos, my wife and I ran in the opposite direction and barely survived. The fire engulfed our three shanties. I then ran to check in on my aunt. By that time her gate had caught fire and I could not save her,” said Vikas Paswan (19) as he stood near his gutted shanty.
Paswan’s maternal aunt, Meena Devi (50), was killed in the fire that broke out at a slum cluster of scrap dealers gutting hundreds of shanties spread over an area of 25 acres, near Kankrola village in Sector 6, IMT Manesar on Monday night. Her charred body was recovered on Tuesday morning.
Three people suffered burn injuries, said police, adding that two were admitted to hospitals. Officials said some vehicles were also gutted in the fire.
Police said an FIR was registered against unknown persons on the complaint of the nephew of the deceased.
Devi, a native of Patna, worked as a scrap dealer. “The rest of the family had gone to our native village in Patna. Sab chala gaya aag mein (We have lost everything),” Paswan said.
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As firefighters doused the fire, displaced families — most being scrap dealers and garbage pickers — sat on a pavement across the road, hoping to salvage something from the rubble. Many said they spent the night beneath a flyover in Kankrola.
Officials said the fire is suspected to have started near Meena Devi’s shanty around 10.20 pm and spread, aided by strong winds. At least 35 fire tenders were pressed into service as operations continued through the night. In the afternoon, Narender Singh, a fire officer, said, “At least 80% of the fire has been controlled. Fire is still raging in scrap materials like plastic, rubber and cardboard, and we are clearing the rubble using earth moving machines and dousing minor fires by spraying water. We are preventing it from spreading towards Naharpur Rupa. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”
Gurgaon DC Nishant Kumar Yadav and SDM North Gurgaon Ankita Chaudhary visited the area. SDM Chaudhary said, “Over 500 people have been displaced. The district administration has made arrangements for their shelter in a community hall in a nearby village. We have arranged mattresses, portable toilets, water tanks and food.”
Nitish Kumar, a scrap dealer, said, “Some tried putting out the fire by pouring buckets of water, but winds spread the fire, engulfing everything. Several cylinders exploded, and the fire spread to a liquor store. I quickly grabbed my son and daughter and ran for safety. Bache bach gaye, wahi kaafi hai, ghar phir bana lenge (I am thankful that my children are safe, I will rebuild a home).”
His wife, Ganga Jali Devi, said she fell and suffered an injury while they were running. “We had saved Rs 40,000 cash for my niece’s wedding in Bihar. We were supposed to leave this week. We will have to borrow money now. All our documents have also been gutted,” she said.
Rajender Singh, SHO, Kherki Daula police station, said, “One woman died and three persons sustained injuries. One of the injured was discharged after treatment. One man suffered at least 30% burn injuries, and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Delhi, while another man is at a Manesar hospital. Their statements are yet to be recorded.”
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