Delhi: 7 dead in late night blaze at slum

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the adults who died, Rs 5 lakh each for the deceased children, and Rs 25,000 each to those whose jhuggis were burnt.
Additional DCP (Northeast) Devesh Kumar Mahla said police had received a call around 1.05 am and that around 30-35 jhuggis had caught fire. He said the fire brigade, personnel from the forensic lab at Rohini, and the Northeast district crime team were at the spot on Saturday, but the exact cause of the fire is not known yet. “The teams will look into the points they have and submit a report to us,” he said.

At least seven people were killed and 60 shanties were gutted in Northeast Delhi’s Gokulpuri area. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

According to Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg, they were informed about the blaze around 1 am: “When there is a fire like this in jhuggis, everything burns down since it is all combustible material… The bodies that were retrieved were charred.”

The victims’ families alleged that the fire department did not reach on time.

On this, DFS chief Garg admitted that there was a delay since it was difficult for the fire tenders to reach the spot: “There is no proper road. In places like this, fire tenders stand at a distance and operate the hose. These are not established colonies. All jhuggis are in places where there are no proper, wide roads. How can fire tenders reach?…” On how long it took for the fire brigade to respond after the call, he said the information was not available.

The exact cause of the fire is not known yet. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

Several families lost all their money and belongings in the fire. A number of them had weddings in the family post-Holi, due to which a large amount of cash was also kept in the house.

The residents of the JJ colony are labourers, most of whom trace their roots back to Kanpur or Lucknow, although many of them have been living in Delhi for the last 15 or more years. Most of them earn their living by fixing zips on jackets and jeans, and by making and selling lemons and chillies sewn together on a string (hung outside shops and behind vehicles to ward off evil).

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Kejriwal visited the area around 2 pm to take stock of the situation. Climbing atop his car after being surrounded by the crowd, he said, “I am your son, your brother and I will support you no matter what; the Delhi government will provide financial assistance to every victim. We can’t compensate for your loss but we will provide financial assistance to every family who has lost a loved one. Underprivileged families face a host of difficulties in setting up a jhuggi; it is very painful to see someone die in such circumstances.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind also expressed their condolences. “The fire incident in Delhi’s Gokulpuri is heart-wrenching. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. May God give them the strength to bear this immense sorrow,” said Modi in a tweet.

“The news of many casualties in the fire accident in Gokulpuri, Delhi is extremely sad. I express my condolences to all the bereaved families and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” said the President.

Northeast Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, who also visited the area, demanded Rs 1 crore compensation for the next of kin of those who died and a judicial inquiry.