Delhi shoe factory owner summoned after fire kills four workers

Police have summoned the owner of a shoe factory in northwest Delhi after a fire killed four workers and injured two others, news agency PTI reported. Investigators are questioning contractors and workers to establish how many people were inside the building when the fire broke out.

Police have arrested two people, identified as Suresh Chand and Ashok, 47, and formed teams to trace other accused who are absconding.

The fire broke out around 9.30 pm on Friday at the factory in Phase I of the Mangolpuri Industrial Area. Officials said 31 fire tenders were deployed and the blaze was brought under control around 6 am on Saturday.

Fire officials said the blaze started in the basement of the building, which had a ground floor, three upper floors and a partially built structure on the fourth floor.

During the rescue operation, one worker was found unconscious on the third floor and five others were found in a room on the fourth floor. All six were taken to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where four were declared dead.

The deceased were identified as Ashok, 25, a native of Nalanda in Bihar; Harihar, 40, a resident of Mangolpuri; Lal Babu, 38; and Prem Chand, 50. The injured were identified as Vikas and Harinder.

Hospital officials said Vikas was stable and on oxygen support in the emergency department, while Harinder was on ventilator support in the intensive care unit.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Vikram Singh told PTI that the factory owner had been summoned. He said the police had also questioned the contractor and workers to determine the total number of employees present at the unit.

Police registered a first information report at Raj Park police station under Sections 287, 125(a), 105 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The provisions relate to negligent conduct involving fire or combustible material, an act endangering life or personal safety and causing injury, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and common intention.

Fire officer Paras Kumar told PTI that the basement was engulfed in flames when firefighters reached the site. Smoke had spread to the upper floors, making the rescue operation difficult.

After controlling the blaze, firefighters cooled the building to prevent it from flaring up again and continued inspecting the affected areas. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established.

Relatives of those killed alleged that they had received no communication from the factory owner after the incident. Mukhdev, a relative of Harihar, said the family was asked to come to the hospital to identify the bodies after learning that some workers had died and others were injured.

"We tried calling him, but his phone was switched off, which made us anxious. We came rushing, but nobody let us meet him," he said. He added that Harihar is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

Umesh Prasad, a relative of Ashok, said the worker had spoken to his family shortly before the fire. "He spoke with his family around 9:10 pm. Around 9:20 pm, he said there had been a fire in the factory and asked them to cut the call. That was the last time they spoke," he said.

Local workers alleged that the factory had limited exits and that employees on the upper floors could not come down after smoke filled the building. They also claimed there was no emergency exit. Investigators have not independently established these claims.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed grief over the deaths and said she had directed officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured, assistance for the affected families and prompt relief work. She said officials were monitoring the situation.

The fire left four workers dead and two injured, while police arrested two people, summoned the factory owner and continued investigating the cause of the blaze and the safety arrangements at the unit.- Ends