Journalism of Courage
A day after 27 people died inside a four-storey commercial building near Mundka Metro station, the Delhi Police identified six of them and the identification process of other bodies is on. The police have also decided to conduct a DNA identification test – in case they are not able to ascertain the identity of some of the victims, whose charred bodies were recovered. They have prepared a list of 29 missing persons, including 24 women, who went missing after the incident.
According to the police, the persons identified are Tania Bhushan (27), Mohini Pal (38), Yashoda Devi (35), Ranju Devi (32), Vishal Mithlesh (24) and Drishti (26). DCP (Outer district) Sameer Sharma, said, “The identification process is going on and we have identified six bodies.”
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 and 12 persons were injured after a major fire broke out in the first floor of the building, the police said.
As per call logs, the police received the first call at 4.40 pm and within seven minutes, one motor police vehicle reached the spot followed by the SHO (Mundka), who reached at 4.48 pm. As many as 40 fire tenders were called in and 35 ambulances were pressed into service. So far, a total of 39 Medico-Legal Cases have been made in the hospitals. “We have reached within 5 to 10 mins after receiving the first PCR call,” Sharma said.
He added, “We have arrested the company owners Harish Goel and Varun Goel. We have also registered an FIR under IPC Sections 304-A (causing death due to negligence), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (criminal intimidation) at the Mundka police station.”
Sharma said during a preliminary enquiry, it has been learnt that the four- storey building is used commercially to provide office space to companies. “The fire started from the first floor of the building which is an office of CCTV cameras and router manufacturing/assembling company. Over 50 employees and workers of the company have reportedly been rescued and 27 dead bodies have been found,” he said.
Families of those trapped first started receiving distress calls around 4.45 pm, around the same time locals in the area spotted plumes of smoke, and then the flames engulfed the building.
