Three people were charred to death in a devastating fire that broke out in a makeshift tent in East Delhi’s Anand Vihar during the early hours of Tuesday, police said. An FIR was registered in this connection.
The victims, all casual workers employed by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), were asleep when the blaze engulfed their shelter.
The fire, suspected to have been triggered by a diesel lamp, also resulted in minor injuries to one survivor.
According to the police, a PCR call reporting the fire was received at 2:42 AM. The victims have been living in a temporary settlement on Manglam Road, near a DDA plot and adjacent to the Rotary Club office.
An FIR under section 106(1) death due to negligence of BNS has been registered at Anand Vihar Police station, and investigation is going on, an official mentioned
The deceased have been identified as Jaggi (30) from Banda, Uttar Pradesh; Shyam Singh (40) and Kanta Prasad (37) — both from Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. Nitin Singh (32), a resident of Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad, managed to escape but sustained injuries to his leg, he said.
Nitin Singh, the only survivor, recounted that the workers had locked the entrance to their tent from inside before going to sleep around 11 PM.
They used a diesel lamp (dibiya) placed on a cooler stand for illumination. Around 2 AM, Shyam Singh noticed the fire and woke up the others. He attempted to unlock the gate but failed, leading to a desperate struggle to escape. While Nitin managed to break free, the others got trapped inside, ultimately succumbing to burns and asphyxiation.
A gas cylinder inside the tent exploded during the fire, intensifying the blaze. Firefighters reached the scene and doused the flames, but the damage was already done. The bodies of the deceased were recovered and sent for post-mortem.
As per the cops, the site was inspected by forensic experts, the fire brigade, and a police crime team.
Statements from Nitin Singh, another labourer named Jeetender, and Rampal, the father of two of the deceased, have been recorded as part of the ongoing investigation. An FIR has been filed in the case.