A factory fire in Delhi’s Mangolpuri industrial area killed four workers and left another seriously injured, leaving families from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh facing the loss of their main earners and uncertainty over medical and household expenses.
The fire broke out at a shoe factory on Friday night. The deceased workers have been identified as Premchand, Ashok, Harihar and Lalbabu. The report also said Ashok’s cousin Vikas was battling for his life after the incident.
Premchand, who was from Madhubani in Bihar, had worked at the factory for about 20 years. His wife, Neelam Devi, is suffering from cancer, and the couple have one son and two daughters. According to family members, Premchand was responsible for his wife’s treatment and the children’s upkeep. His daughter-in-law Anshu said the family was now facing difficulty meeting medical and daily expenses.
Ashok, a resident of Milkypar village in Nalanda district, Bihar, had worked at the factory for 16 years. His uncle Umesh had brought him to Delhi and helped him get the job. Ashok’s wife is pregnant and the couple have two children. His cousin Vikas had arrived in Delhi only about one-and-a-half to two months earlier after Ashok encouraged him to come. Vikas is married and has two young children.
The two men had been preparing to travel to their village for Chhath, according to Umesh. The planned visit had become a source of happiness for the family, but the fire changed the situation completely. The report did not provide details about the cause of the blaze or identify any official findings on the factory’s safety arrangements.
Harihar, who was from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, had also worked at the factory for around 20 years and handled a packaging contract. He is survived by three children. Lalbabu, from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, had been employed there for approximately 15 years. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
The deaths have affected families spread across several states, illustrating the dependence of migrant and out-of-state workers on employment in Delhi’s industrial areas. In the reported cases, the workers had spent many years at the same workplace and supported households that included young children, a pregnant woman and a patient undergoing cancer treatment.
The incident also places attention on the conditions in which industrial workers live and work, although the available report does not establish whether any safety violation caused or contributed to the fire. It records the deaths and the families’ accounts but does not include a statement from the factory management, Delhi’s fire authorities, police or municipal agencies.
The immediate known consequences are the four deaths, Vikas’s critical condition and the loss of household income for the affected families. Further official information on the cause of the fire, the factory’s approvals and safety compliance, and any investigation or compensation measures was not available in the supplied report.
