Factory fire in Alipur: 8 victims identified, DNA test to determine identity of 3 others
A massive fire broke out at the Om Suns paint factory in Alipur's Dayal market on the outskirts of Delhi on Thursday, killing 11 people, including factory owner Ashok Kumar Jain.
Alipur factory fire: Eight of the 11 people killed in a devastating fire that engulfed a paint factory in Delhi's Alipur suburb on Thursday have been identified by their families as Delhi Police consider conducting DNA test on the unidentified victims to determine their identity. , If necessary.
The eight identified victims are: Jain (62), Ram Surat Singh (44), Vishal Gaund (19), Anil Thakur (46), Pankaj Kumar (29), Shubham (19), Mira (44) and Brijkishore (19) .
An officer said some victims were identified based on the clothing they were wearing at the time of the incident and other items.
If necessary, DNA test will be conducted on the unidentified bodies, he added.
The factory was run illegally?
In a statement, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said the building in which the fire broke out was being used illegally for mixing chemical paints. The municipality says it regrets the tragic incident.
A senior police officer said an investigation is underway to determine whether the paint factory was being operated illegally and what led to the fire incident in which the owner of the establishment, Ashok Kumar Jain, was killed in the incident along with ten of his staff. staff.
The factory – Om Suns Paint – has been operating since 2017, he said.
The victims were locked inside and could not escape
“It has come to light that the owner locked the factory from inside while work was in progress,” the officer added that it is suspected that the factory gate was locked from outside, preventing workers from escaping from the building after it was enveloped. in flames.
Forensic experts have collected samples from the scene, the officer said, adding: “Prima facie, it is suspected that the fire broke out due to a short circuit and spread to an area where chemicals were kept, triggering several explosions has lead.”
Fire preceded by explosion
The incident took place at Dayal market in Alipur. The factory housed chemical factories. The fire was preceded by an explosion and quickly spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation center and eight stores.
Locals claim that the fire brigade arrived too late, causing the fire to spread to other buildings.
A Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said a call about the fire was received at 5.25 pm and the fire brigade rushed to the spot, but there was a delay due to a massive traffic jam near GT Karnal Road.
Despite efforts by DFS, 11 workers were killed in a fire at a paint factory in Delhi's Alipur area. A fire call was received at 5:30 pm and 22 tenders were on site, but the explosion caused the building to collapse and the workers became trapped in the side of the factory and could not be rescued. Very very unhappy day. pic.twitter.com/KicTnNUJTe
— Atul Garg (@AtulGargDFS) February 16, 2024
Delhi Police has barricaded a number of roads leading to Alipur due to farmer unrest.
Delay in fire brigade response?
Sources claimed that the delay was due to unavailability of firefighters at a nearby fire station as they were sent to another place, news agency PTI reported.
Police said while the factory owner was killed in the incident, his son, Akhil Jain of Sonipat in Haryana, is being questioned.
A case has been registered against the factory owner's son under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The DFS official said 22 fire tenders had been pressed into service to douse the flames.
(With PTI inputs)