Delhi fire: Building owner arrested, crime branch probes accident

The AAP government termed Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri's statement "shocking and false" and claimed that it was aimed at hiding "corruption and inefficiency" of the BJP-led civic bodies in Delhi.

The NDRF team that entered the Delhi building where at least 43 people died in a massive fire said the building was filled with hazardous carbon monoxide. Most workers of the illegal manufacturing units that ran in the four-storey building in north Delhi's Anaj Mandi area died due to suffocation.

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Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) December 8, 2019

The Congress said the Anaj Mandi factory fire proved that the government had not learnt its lesson from the 1997 Uphaar Cinema tragedy and demanded a probe into what it called a "racket" of permitting thousands of such illegal buildings to operate with "government patronage".

As Delhi fire engulfed the ill-fated building in Anaj Mandi, Mohammed Musharaf (34) made a last frantic call to his friend, Monu Aggarwal (33) in Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh.

"Take care of my family, I would not survive the Delhi fire" is what Mohammed Musharaf told Monu at 5 AM. Both knew each since their childhood as they grew up in Uttar Pradesh's Tandamaidass. Read full story here

The firefighters made their way through dense smoke and flames on the first floor when they overhead a distress call coming from the second, so they rushed to rescue the person, and realised many more were trapped and screaming for help.

The Delhi government ordered a magisterial probe into the tragedy, the worst fire accident in the national capital since the 1997 Uphaar Cinema blaze that claimed 59 lives.

Union minister Harsh Vardhan visited the injured people at LNJP hospital.

"Owner of the building Rehan and his manager Furkan have been arrested. We are investigating the matter. From the information we have, more or less there is no possibility of more bodies being recovered," Delhi Police DCP North Monika Bhardwaj was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

After a massive fire broke out at a factory at Anaj Mandi in New Delhi, one of the fire personnel, who was the first person to reach the site, was hospitalised in the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital and will be kept under observation for 72 hours.

"The fireman was the first person to reach the site and the last person to leave the place. He has inhaled a lot of smoke, so must be kept under observation for at least 72 hours," Dr Kishore Singh, Medical Director, LNJP Hospital was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

A team of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) analysed the four-storey building, where a massive blaze broke out, and the possible places from where the fire could have started but could not collect any samples due to the rescue work by the fire department.

Union minister Ashwini Choubey visited injured people in the Delhi fire accident at LNJP hospital.

Photos by Ram Kinkar Singh

The Delhi Police has detained the owner of the six-storey factory in Delhi's Anaj Mandi where a massive fire killed 43 and rescue operations are underway.

As the rescue operation is underway for Delhi fire accident, another fire breaks out at a factory in Gurugram's Sector-8 in Manesar.

Around six fire tenders are present at the spot and rescue operation is underway, news agency ANI reported.

A team of Delhi Crime Branch officers visit the accident location.

Sonia Gandhi expressed "deep shock and dismay" at the horrendous fire accident that has claimed several lives, the Congress said in a statement.

According to Delhi Police sources, two out of the three brothers who had divided the factory among themselves are absconding. One of the brother of the factory owner in police custody.

"It is a tragedy. The one who owns building is responsible," Union minister Ashwini Choubey said.