In the tragic incident, a 17-year-old girl was killed and more than 100 makeshift dwellings were burned to a massive a fire broke out in Delhi’s Rithala area during the early hours of Thursday.
The inferno left many migrant households displaced as it tore through the crowded residential cluster.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) was alerted to the fire at 4:15 am. A total of 18 fire engines were dispatched to the scene to battle the flames, which were rapidly spreading throughout the colony.
First responders discovered the charred remains of a teenager, identified as Rozina Khatun, in the rubble. fire was successfully closed. Her remains were taken to the BSA Hospital and subsequently transferred to the mortuary for a forensic autopsy. Authorities noted that the fire escalated quickly due to the close spacing of the shacks and the availability of highly flammable materials such as plastic sheeting, wood and textiles.
In addition, the fire reached the neighboring warehouse with paper bottles and cardboard, the entrances and windows of the surrounding residences were also affected.
“Our teams arrived at the site soon after the call and started operations. Fire it has already engulfed several huts,” an official said, according to the fire department PTI.
The fire was brought under control around 6:30am.
The residential area, referred to as Bengali Basti, sheltered migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal who served as day laborers in local factories and construction sites.
Everything from clothes to personal documents gutted
Residents said they lost all their possessions, including clothes, cash reserves and personal documents.
“We ran out to save our lives when the fire started. Within minutes, everything caught fire. Our hut, clothes, money and documents, everything is gone,” said Ramesh Kumar, a laborer from Bihar. PTI.
A worker from West Bengal mentioned that the fire destroyed everything in no time and the households were left with only the clothes they were wearing.
“We woke up to screaming and saw fire everywhere. Somehow we managed to get the children out. We couldn’t save anything,” she said, according to PTI.
Some of the residents were seen searching the ruins trying to find things that could be retrieved.
Officers from Budh Vihar Police Station secured the perimeter and helped relocate residents to avoid further injuries. Around 10 medical units were also stationed at the site.
A legal case was initiated under Sections 287 (negligent conduct involving fire or inflammable articles), 125(a) (endangering life or personal safety) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
