A Delhi fire in northwest Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar left six people, including three children, injured after they reportedly jumped from a neighbouring building in panic as smoke, heat and strong winds spread from an adjacent unit on Sunday morning.
The injured were identified as Priyanka, 28, her eight-year-old and five-year-old daughters, Santosh, 33, her eight-year-old daughter Tanvi, and Vijay. All six were taken to hospital and were reported to be out of danger. Fire department officials said some of those injured also fell ill after inhaling smoke.
The fire broke out at about 11.30am in a building in Khadda Colony that housed a gym on the ground floor and a unit manufacturing judo uniforms and boxing gloves on the floors above. No one was present inside the building when the blaze engulfed its ground and first floors, according to the report.
Residents of the building opposite the burning structure began to panic as smoke and heat appeared to overwhelm the area. A video purportedly showing the incident surfaced after the fire. It showed a woman sitting on a ventilator-like structure before losing her grip and falling from a height, while local residents appeared to try to help her with what looked like a rope or a stick.
Several fire tenders were sent to the site and brought the blaze under control. The cause of the fire had not been ascertained at the time of the report. The incident did not involve only the fire response inside the affected premises: residents also took part in evacuating people from neighbouring buildings.
A local resident claimed that 10 to 12 people were rescued from the adjacent building using a ladder. Residents also tried to douse the flames but were unable to contain the fire, the report said. Another resident said he and his friends helped in the rescue operation and removed gas cylinders from their homes to prevent a possible escalation. He said residents used the stairs to leave the building.
The incident has also raised questions about the use of the affected premises. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi said the property was located in a “non-conforming area” and that it had not granted a licence for the activity. A resident claimed that the factory had been operating for three to four years from what was otherwise a residential area.
The fire department’s response brought the blaze under control, while the cause of the fire and the regulatory status of the manufacturing unit remained under examination. The injured residents were receiving medical care and were reported to be out of danger.
