Fire traps workers in Delhi factory, killing at least 17
Kai Schultz NEW DELHI — A fire at an industrial building on the outskirts of New Delhi broke out as workers were stuffing gunpowder into firecrack- ers, trapping many of them on the factory’s upper floors as it spread, and leaving at least 17 dead.
The laborers were paid only a few dollars a day to work in harsh conditions, and at least 10 who died Saturday were women, two of whom were reportedly found tightly embracing each other.
Frequent fires are a tragic reality in India’s urban areas: A blaze at two upscale restau- rants in Mumbai killed 14 peo- ple last month, and factories in the New Delhi area, includ- ing ones manufacturing shoes and plastics, catch fire with some regularity.
An official with the Delhi Fire Service said the building that went up in flames over the weekend in Bawana, an industrial area outside New Delhi, had no clear fire-safety arrangements, and the Indian news media reported that the businessman who had rented sives in the building may have the factory had been taken accelerated its spread. Two into custody. other fires were reported in
“I could smell it first,” factories in Bawana on SaturRoop Singh, 24, a survivor day, but no casualties were who jumped off the build- reported there. ing’s terrace, told the Sun“We did not find any fire day Express in India. “Before safety arrangements in the I knew it, I was trapped. I building, but still it’s a matknew that if I had to escape, ter of police investigation,” I would have to jump.” Garg said of the deadly blaze.
The fire broke out around Building and safety inspec6:20 p.m. in Bawana, where tions are unevenly enforced factories manufacture and in Bawana. The police said package pharmaceuticals, that Manoj Jain, a businessplastic and rubber items, and man who rented the factory petroleum-based products. at the beginning of the year,
To reduce pollution and had obtained a license to make congestion in the heart of plastic items, but firefighters New Delhi, home to around found material used to pack 20 million people, many fac- fire crackers in the building, tories have shifted their oper- he said. ations to industrial clusters “Anything to do with firelike the one in Bawana on crackers needs fire clearance.” the fringes of the city, where Jain, who was taken into they often employ low-wage custody, has been charged workers from neighboring with culpable homicide not states. The number of facto- amounting to murder, and ries and industrial plots has with negligent conduct with nearly tripled to more than respect to fire or combusti50,000 from about 18,000 ble materials. in 2016. Arvind Kejriw a l, t he
Atul Garg, the chief fire chief minister of the state officer in Delhi, said it was of Delhi, said the families of unclear what had caused the the deceased would receive fire, but officials said explo- compensation.