Two Workers Killed, Three Injured in Scrap Unit Fire in Delhi's Pitampura
A devastating fire broke out at a makeshift scrap storage unit in Northwest Delhi's Pitampura village early Tuesday morning. The blaze claimed the lives of two workers and left three others with serious burn injuries.
Fire Erupts in the Dead of Night
Police received an emergency call about the fire at the Rani Bagh police station around 1:25 am. Officers rushed to the scene immediately. They found a vacant plot being used for storing scrap cardboard and cartons under temporary tin sheds.
Six fire tenders and more than fifty firefighters worked tirelessly to control the flames. The fire spread rapidly due to the large quantity of highly inflammable scrap material present on the plot.
Victims Rushed to Hospital
All five injured workers were taken to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital in Jahangirpuri for urgent medical treatment. Doctors declared two of them, identified as Biresh and Satish, dead upon arrival. The other three victims are currently undergoing treatment for their burns.
One of the injured workers, Dinesh, told police he tried to rescue Biresh and Satish as the fire engulfed the sheds. However, he was forced to retreat when the flames intensified, making rescue impossible.
Migrant Workers Living in Precarious Conditions
Preliminary investigations revealed that all five workers originally came from Nalanda district in Bihar. They had been living in tin sheds erected on the same plot where they stored scrap materials.
These workers earned their livelihood by collecting scrap cardboards and cartons from nearby markets. They stored their collections in four tin sheds on the plot, two of which were completely destroyed by the fire.
Investigation Underway
Crime team and forensic officials have inspected the fire site thoroughly. Police confirmed that the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined at this stage. The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the hospital mortuary.
Authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the incident. They are examining all aspects of the fire to determine what sparked the deadly blaze and whether any safety violations contributed to the tragedy.
The fire highlights the dangerous living and working conditions faced by many migrant workers in urban areas. These workers often reside in makeshift shelters near their workplaces, exposing themselves to significant safety risks.
