Fire officials on spot trying to douse fire. (Express Photo)Delhi News Highlights: In one of the worst fire tragedies in the national capital’s recent history, at least 27 people died inside a four-storey commercial building near Mundka Metro station, in Outer Delhi, on Friday. With firefighting and rescue operations on until late Friday night, officials feared the toll could go up.
Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire in Delhi. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.” Modi announced Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of those who lost their lives, and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted and said, “Shocked and pained to know about this tragic incident. I am constantly in touch with officers. Our brave firemen are tryingDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted. President Ram Nath Kovind’s official handle too offered condolences: “Distressed by the tragic fire accident at a building near Mundka
Metro Station in Delhi.”
In one of the worst fire tragedies in the national capital’s recent history, at least 27 people died inside a four-storey commercial building near Mundka Metro station, in outer Delhi, on Friday.
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Reacting to the fire tragedy in Mundka that killed over 27 people Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire in Delhi. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
Modi announced Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of those who lost their lives, and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Gaurav, who is from Nangloi, was looking for his aunt, Soumya Negi, at the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital on Friday night, and had handed her details over to the police at the hospital. "She used to do packaging work at a company there. I have checked the emergency here, but she's not there. We haven't been able to figure out where she is...I have been very scared. Her son is on his way here from Patna," Gaurav said.
Chandra Bhushan, his wife and other family members have been waiting at the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital for hours.
Bhushan's daughter Tania (26) works as a sales executive at the office.
"We received a call around 4.30 pm from Tania. She told me to call fire services and save her. I got scared and asked everyone to rush to the building. We kept calling her but her phone stopped working. We waited for hours and then came to the hospital. We don't what to do now. Nobody is saying anything. Is she dead or alive? I couldn't save my daughter. My wife keeps checking at the mortuary. We are all scared. Why couldn't she be saved in time? What were the authorities doing?" said Bhushan.
Ismail Khan, a businessman, sustained injuries on his hand while trying to save his sister Muskaan (21). Muskaan works as a sales executive at the office.
"She called me around 4.30 pm and was crying. I rushed to help her. I told her to jump...told her I would catch her. She didn't. Her phone's not working now. I waited for 6 hours. Police are saying 30 bodies have been recovered. Is my sister one of them? I tried to go inside but a huge slab of glass fell on me. I saw employees trying to douse the fire with fire extinguishers but they weren't working. I was helpless. My hand got hurt and fire services came an hour late because of traffic. Muskaan has been working at the office for 2 years now..most of her colleagues are females. The owner should be punished. No working fire extinguishers. No emergency escape..."
Vimla (40), who works in the assembling unit, told The Indian Express, "I was on the third floor when the fire broke out. There was chaos... we were screaming and crying. My friend took a chair and started breaking the glass windows from inside. I rushed to the stairs along with others but there was no space to leave. The fire engulfed everything. We were lost. The lift stopped working. In an hour, locals came to rescue us. They got ladders and ropes. Jo nikal paaya wo nikal gaya, baaki sab wahin. I was crying as everyone was fighting. I got scared and jumped from the window. I didn't want to die. My son was waiting for me."
She sustained burns and cuts on her hands. She hails from Uttarakhand and had shifted to Delhi for work.
The death toll in the Mundka fire rose up to 27 on Friday night, said DCP Sameer Sharma.
"We have detained company owners Harish Goel and Varun Goel," said DCP Sameer Sharma. The DCP had earlier said the fire broke out at an office by the name Cofe Impex Pvt Lt.
"Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire in Delhi," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, condoling the deaths at Mundka fire incident.
At least 26 people were killed in fire that broke out at a building near Mundka Metro Station in Outer Delhi on Friday. Confirming that 26 bodies have been recovered so far, DCP Sameer Sharma (Outer) said the fire broke out at an office by the name Cofe Impex Pvt Ltd and the owner of the company has been arrested. Read more
Sameer Sharma, DCP (Outer) said the fire broke out at an office by the name Cofe Impex Pvt Ltd and the owner of the company has been arrested. “On preliminary enquiry, it has been learnt that the building is a three-storey building and is a commercial building generally used for providing office space to companies. The fire started from the 1st floor of the building which is an office where CCTVs and routers are manufactured,” said Sharma
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: "Shocked and pained to know about this tragic incident. I am constantly in touch with officers. Our brave firemen are trying their best to control the fire and save lives. God bless all."
President Ram Nath Kovind expresses condolences towards families of victims who died in the Mundka dire incident
Another video of the rescue operations that are underway at Mundka.
Rescue operations underway in the buidling that caught fire in Mundka.
Atul Garg, DFS Chief said, "It's a massive fire. So far, we have recovered 20 bodies from 1st and 2nd floor. Teams are now trying to go to the 3rd floor for rescue. All bodies are charred."
At least 16 people was killed in fire that broke out at a building near Mundka Metro Station in Outer Delhi on Friday, Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg said. He added that the toll could go up as the fire continued to rage till Friday night and a rescue operation was still underway. During the day, Delhi Fire Services had sent 27 fire tenders to the spot. Garg had said at the time: “It’s a massive fire. Cranes are being used to go up and douse the fire. There’s no information on the rescue operation so far. We are waiting for details.”
The office building in Mundka which caught fire.
At least 16 people was killed in fire that broke out at a building near Mundka Metro Station in Outer Delhi on Friday. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS), that pressed 24 fire tenders to service, has recovered 16 bodies from the spot so far. DFS chief Atul Garf said, “So far we have recovered 16 bodies and the number is likely to go up," said Fire Chief, Atul Garg.
The Delhi High Court Friday questioned Sir Ganga Ram Hospital’s reluctance to release the frozen semen sample of a 30-year-old who died of cancer in 2020 to his parents.
“If the son is unmarried, you become the owner or what? Do you want a succession certificate? What is the legal impediment?” asked the court after the counsel representing the hospital argued that there are no guidelines for the release of semen of an unmarried man to his parents.
While listing the case for further hearing on May 30, the court asked the hospital to place on record an affidavit of the Director or any other responsible officer in respect of the policy they follow in such cases. Read more
Observing that the provision for representation of the Anglo-Indian community by nomination in Lok Sabha had been introduced to give an assurance to the community’s members that they will be protected and heard when they stay back, the Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Centre to file its submissions in response to a petition seeking restoration of Anglo-Indian representation by nomination in Parliament.
The court observed that 70-80 years since then, the objective stands achieved.
The court asked the government to inform it about the rationale behind the move to reserve two seats in Lok Sabha. Read more
At least one person was killed in fire that broke out at a building near Mundka Metro Station in Outer Delhi on Friday. Delhi Fire Services (DFS), that pressed 24 fire tenders to service, has recovered the body of a woman from the spot.
A fire broke out at a building near Mundka Metro Station in Outer Delhi on Friday. Delhi Fire Services has sent 24 fire tenders to the spot. Atul Garg, DFS Chief said, "It's a massive fire. Cranes are being used to go up and douse the fire. There's no information on the rescue operation yet. We are waiting for details."
With the start of school summer vacations in Delhi, the services of roughly 22,000 guest teachers have been discontinued for the duration of the holidays, an annual practice which has been opposed by the guest teachers’ association. Read more
The Gurgaon police Thursday booked a labour contractor for allegedly concocting a false story of robbery to avoid paying creditors, officers said.
According to the police, labour contractor Kamal Singh complained that as he was driving to Noida in his car after withdrawing money from a bank in Sector 5, Gurgaon around 11.50 am on Thursday, three assailants snatched cash worth Rs 4.4 lakh from him at gunpoint. He had alleged that the accused escaped on a motorcycle. Read morre
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak Friday asks MCD to take action against Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta's house and party office constructed "illegally" on public land by Saturday 11 am else AAP will reach Gupta's house with its "Bulldozer" to take action against the encroachment.
"AAP raised this matter earlier also and filed an official complaint with mayor that how BJP president Adesh Gupta violated MCD rules and constructed his house without getting the layout plan/map passed from the corporation. Similarly, Gupta illegally encroached the land of an MCD school and constructed his party office. AAP gives a warning to MCD to take action against Gupta by 11 am tomorrow, else AAP will do its bulldozer justice," Durgesh Pathak said.
Even as MBBS graduates continue to raise the demand to delay the NEET-PG exam for the year 2022, several central government hospitals have been given permission to retain their outgoing batch of post-graduate students with pay.
“NEET-PG 2022 has not been held so far and the fresh batch of PG students is not expected to join before the end of July. It has been decided… services of these post-graduate students as residents may be continued to be utilised with full pay/stipend until fresh batches of post-graduate students have joined physically to ensure that there is no shortage of residents in handling the clinical duties,” said a communication from the Directorate General of Health Services to hospitals such as Safdarjung, Lady Hardinge and RML in Delhi along with central government hospitals from other states. Read more
A day after AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested during demolition clashes in Madanpur Khadar, Delhi Police Friday opened his history sheet and declared him ‘Bad Character of Jamia Nagar area.’
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Friday wrote a letter to Union Minister Amit Shah asking for his immediate intervention and to stop the 'demolition drive in Delhi'. "The BJP and its leaders crossed all lengths to run its 'cheap' bulldozer politics in Delhi despite its period is over in MCD," Sisodia said.
In the letter, Sisodia also asked Shah to "conduct demolition activity in the houses of BJP leaders who took money and let people construct houses on unauthorised lands".
The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi police commissioner to ensure action against salons where hair transplantation treatment is done by technicians or unqualified professionals without any medical supervision.
Seeking necessary action from the Delhi government, Centre, National Medical Commission, Delhi Medical Council and the Delhi Police on the issue, Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta asked the authorities to file a status report before the court by July 27. Read more
A father-son duo was arrested for allegedly posing as officials of the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation and demanding Rs 4 crore from a resident in Gurgaon.
The complainant, Yashpal Batra, former senior deputy mayor in MCG, lodged an FIR at New Colony police station, alleging that the accused had filed false complaints against him stating that he had accumulated properties by illegal means. Read more
While no change is expected in the maximum temperature over northwest India in the next three days, it could fall by around two to three degrees after that, according to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast issued on Friday morning.
Heat wave conditions are on the forecast for Delhi on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, the maximum temperature is likely to be 44 degrees Celsius. The normal maximum temperature, or the long period average, for May 12 to 15 is 39.3 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature is likely to remain at 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday as well, going by the forecast. Read more
A father-son duo was arrested for allegedly posing as officials of the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation and demanding Rs 4 crore from a resident in Gurgaon.
The complainant, Yashpal Batra, former senior deputy mayor in MCG, lodged an FIR at New Colony police station, alleging that the accused had filed false complaints against him stating that he had accumulated properties by illegal means. Read more
The Delhi government’s new film policy, which will give producers subsidies and discounts on hospitality services, will be launched Friday, officials said.
The decision to frame a policy that makes Delhi an attractive location for shooting movies was taken in February this year. The policy also talks about a single window e-clearance for producers, which will be handled by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, sources said.
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has been arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly organising an “unlawful” assembly during the demolition drive in Madanpur Khadar. Khan was detained while he and his associates were protesting against the MCD and Bhartiya Janta Party. The clashes had turned violent in the Madanpur Khadar area of Delhi, where locals claimed that legal structures were bulldozed.
Referring to the recurring heatwaves in Delhi, teachers’ associations have appealed to various authorities that the ongoing camp in government schools during summer vacations be called off. However, education department officials said that these are required to address the students’ learning needs.
Summer vacations in Delhi began on Wednesday, and summer camps are being held in all government schools for classes III to IX from 7.30 am to 11 am. All students have been encouraged to attend these camps, the focus of which is on foundational reading and numeracy after the two-year-long gap due to the pandemic, and parents had been asked to submit No Objection Certificates to their schools for this. These are scheduled to continue to till June 18 while summer vacations end on June 28. Read More
The Delhi High Court has ordered Jamia Millia Islamia’s Vice-Chancellor to remain present before the court next week if a contractual employee, who has worked with the varsity for 17 years, is not adjusted in any of the projects run by it. The order was passed by the bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain after the counsel representing the university failed to respond to the court’s April 1 order wherein the varsity was asked to inform how petitioner Aquil Ahmed can be retained on a contract-basis either in the same project or under any other capacity. Read More
A Delhi court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) former managing director Chitra Ramkrishna and former group operating officer (GOO) Anand Subramanian in a 2018 case of bourse manipulation.
Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal refused to grant bail to the two accused after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had opposed their bail claiming that they were involved in a serious offence affecting the integrity of the financial system. The agency had told the court that Ramakrishna, by the “gross abuse of her official position”, illegally and arbitrarily appointed Anand Subramanian, “who did not have any prior experience”. Read More
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was detained Thursday during clashes that broke out during protests against an SDMC demolition drive that took place today. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) conducted an anti-encroachment drive in Amar Colony, East of Kailash and other adjoining areas in South Delhi Today. No damage was done to any shops or properties during this time.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Thursday conducted an anti-encroachment drive in Amar Colony, East of Kailash and other adjoining areas in South Delhi.
The officials of the SDMC along with CRPF and Police personnel visited different areas in the locality. The drive started near the Amar Colony police station and covered the areas of Kalka Devi Marg, Kalyan Nagar, Sant Nagar, ISKON temple and all adjoining areas of Amar Colony and East of Kailash.
The officials removed scaffolding, eaves and all unattended objects outside shops that were encroaching the roads in the area. No damage was done to any shops or properties during this time. The drive started at around 10am in the morning and continued till the afternoon.
Senior police officers said they suspect the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) behind the incident. Read more
Five people, including four women, died in an accident on the Yamuna Expressway Thursday morning after the vehicle they were travelling in rammed into a truck at high speed, according to the police.
The police said the accident took place near the 40 km milestone before Jewar Toll Plaza at around 5 am. Five people were declared “brought dead” after they were rushed to the nearest hospital and two are being treated at Kailash Hospital. Read more
Sarita Mali (28) had worked every day from her middle school till the completion of her undergraduation, assisting her father in his trade of selling flower garlands on the streets of Mumbai. After her master’s from Jawaharlal Nehru University, she is now set to pursue a PhD in Hindi Literature from the University of California Santa Barbara.
For Mali, who had grown up in a slum in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar and studied in a municipal school there, life has had challenges, however, she also believes she has had many opportunities. She calls her entry into JNU a “turning point”, something for which she had prepared for three years. Read more
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heat wave conditions in isolated parts of southern Haryana, Delhi, and southern Punjab from May 12 to 16.
At the Safdarjung weather station, which provides a marker for the city, the maximum temperature could settle at around 43 degrees Celsius on Thursday. Clear skies are forecast for the day.
On Wednesday, the maximum temperature recorded was 41.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees above the normal. The city also recorded a warm night with the minimum temperature over the past 24 hours settling at 29.5 degrees Celsius, four degrees above the normal for this time of the year.