Mangolpuri fire: Factory owners yet to be traced; one victim in ICU
New Delhi, Nov. 2 -- The family of Harinder, one of the two people injured in a massive fire at a four-storey shoe manufacturing facility in Mangolpuri Industrial Area Phase-1 that killed four people on Friday, said that he was still in the intensive care unit (ICU) and was looking at months of recovery. Delhi Police said they had yet to locate the two men who run the factory.
On Friday, around 9.30 pm, a fire broke out inside the shoe factory, where six workers had been eating dinner on the first floor. Four of them died, mainly due to asphyxiation.
The victims were identified as Lal Babu (38), Ashok (25), Prem Chand (50), and Harihar (40). Apart from Harinder, a 45-year-old Vikas is also undergoing treatment, but is in stable condition.
He has submitted a complaint to police blaming the building owners and supervisor for negligence and "stuffing" the basement with cartons and raw material which caused the fire.
A preliminary investigation had found that even though the fire was in the basement, all windows and alternative exits were sealed, trapping all workers. Police and fire officers who visited the scene of the fire said that five of the six victims were found unconscious in a room on the fourth floor, while the sixth person was found near the staircase on the third floor.
Police have so far arrested one of the owners, identified as Suresh Chand (78), and building supervisor Ashok Yadav. They have been booked for negligent conduct with respect to fire and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
However, raids are being conducted across Delhi to nab the two other owners who have been identified.
Harinder (AGE) finally regained consciousness but is still not able to speak, his family said.
"Harinder spent more than 22 years in that factory. He was earning Rs.25,000 and was the contractor. Though it was not required, he would still stay at night to help workers during the festive season. Now, he can't even speak because of heavy smoke inhalation," his brother-in-law Mukesh told HT. "Ddoctors have said it will take over three months for him to fully recover. He is only able to signal now." Families of the other victims alleged that they had had to pay for the ambulances, which cost them Rs.25,000 each.
Nagendra Yadav, Ashok's father, said, "Ashok has a pregnant wife and two more children who are aged around six and four. Nobody is helping us."...
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