One more dies, death toll climbs to 45

NEW DELHI: One more person injured in the December 8 Anaj Mandi fire succumbed to his injuries at Lok Nayak hospital on Sunday night, taking the death toll to 45.

Eighteen other injured persons undergoing treatment at different hospitals in north and central Delhi have been discharged, the police said on Tuesday.

A massive fire had broken out in the five-story building where at least 18 small illegal manufacturing units of mirror frames, bags, jackets and plastic toys were operating from as many rooms.

It was the worst blaze in the city in 20 years, which exposed shoddy planning and lax enforcement of fire safety rules in the Capital.

The building built in a cramped neighbourhood with serpentine lanes had a few windows and just one narrow entrance, effectively blocking all escape routes and hampering rescue operations.

Forty-three persons had initially died and 20 were injured in the blaze. Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Rajesh Deo, who is heading the special investigation unit (SIT) probing the fire, said of the 20 injured men, two died at Lok Nayak Hospital between December 15 and December 22.

On December 22, an investigator said, Sajjad, a resident of Moradabad, succumbed to severe burns in his vital organs. On December 15, another worker Mukeem, hailing from Madhubani in Bihar, died in the hospital’s ICU.

“Two of the admitted patients were in a serious condition and succumbed during treatment. The last death happened on Sunday and his condition had deteriorated considerably. A total of 34 people were brought dead to our hospital on December 8,” Dr Kishore Singh, medical superintendent, Lok Nayak Hospital, said.