4 dead, 3 hurt in fire at five-storey building in Rohini
Four persons died while three others suffered injuries in a fire that broke out in a five-storey building housing multiple manufacturing units near the Rithala Metro station in Rohini, Sector 5, here, on Tuesday evening, police and fire officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The Fire Department received a call regarding the blaze around 7:30 pm. After getting information, as many as 16 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Despite hours of firefighting efforts, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said thick smoke and the building’s unsafe design hampered rescue operations.
“Three charred bodies were recovered from the first floor around 1:15 am on Wednesday. Later, one more body was found. A search operation is underway to ensure that no one else is trapped,” said a police officer.
The injured persons, identified as Nitin Bansal (31) and Rakesh (30), who sustained 80 per cent burn injuries, and Virender (25), who suffered minor burns, were initially taken to BSA Hospital. However, Nitin and Rakesh were later shifted to RML Hospital for advanced treatment.
DFS chief Atul Garg said the fire was brought under control on the lower floors by 6 am on Wednesday. Firefighting operations were still underway on the upper floors due to smoke. Cooling process was still on.
According to Assistant Divisional Officer Rajesh Kumar, the building lacked a fire safety certificate and had no proper emergency exits. “Our team had to use a JCB machine to drill a hole in the wall to begin operations,” he said.
DFS sources confirmed that chemical stored on the ground floor for printing purposes likely contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
Police investigations revealed that the building, located at Rana Complex near Gate No. 2 in Rithala, was being used for various commercial activities. The ground and first floors were used for manufacturing readymade and plastic bags by Nitin Bansal, son of the building’s owner. The second floor was leased to a man named Anand for fabric-related work, while the upper floors served as storage godowns for disposable items handled by Rakesh Arora.
Locals, who witnessed the fire, described chaotic scenes. “In a bid to escape fire, some people jumped from the first and second floors. They were rushed to nearby hospitals,” said Inder Sharma, a resident. He said firefighters, police and community members worked together to rescue trapped persons.
Another resident said the fire appeared to have started on the ground floor and quickly engulfed the building due to strong winds.
The police said once the DFS completes its cooling operations, forensic and crime teams would conduct a detailed examination of the site to determine the exact cause of the fire and evaluate structural compliance.
Delhi