Seventeen people, including 10 women, died after a fire ripped through a two-storeyed factory in outer Delhi’s Bawana industrial area late on January 20, a Delhi Fire Services official said.
“13 people died on the first floor, three on the ground and one in the basement,” a fire services official confirmed.
According to reports, the police said two people were injured in the fire and have been admitted to a hospital.
One of the workers, in a bid to escape the fire, jumped off the second floor and fractured his leg, reported a news channel’s website. The people were either charred or got choked to death.
While the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, the blaze, which started from a firecracker factory, has been brought under control.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal visited the spot to take stock of the situation. The Delhi government has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain tweeted to say, “Learnt about a serious fire incident in a private factory at Bawana. Several casualties reported. Monitoring the situation. Ordered enquiry (sic).”
“My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. May those who are injured recover quickly,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Delhi Fire Services received a call about the fire at the factory around 6.20 pm and 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, according to the reports.
“The factory falls in the Delhi State Industrial And Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) area,” according to an official.
