Erick triggers fire in Shahdara, 3 killed

NEGLIGENCE Battery of erickshaw being charged in basement explodes; 12 ericks, a car and over 10 bikes gutted in fire

NEW DELHI: Three people, including a minor, were killed and 12 injured in a fire said to have started from an e-rickshaw that was being charged at Mohan Park in east Delhi’s Shahdara on Wednesday morning.

Prima facie investigation suggested the battery of the e-rickshaw parked at the basement of the building exploded and triggered the fire, said a police official.

A dozen e-rickshaws, a Santro car and more than 10 bikes parked in the basement were gutted.

The injured included two minors. The victims are Rajni Devi, her eight-year-old daughter Karishma and one Sanjay Srivastava.

Rajni Devi of Meerut had come to meet her brother Pradeep Kumar, the owner of the building, on Bhai Dooj. Kumar was injured and later discharged.

A police official said they were investigating the matter and would take action if it is confirmed the fire was caused due to e-rickshaws.

At least three people who jumped from the first floor received fractures.

The e-rickshaws allegedly belonged to Pradeep Kumar and neighbours.

The rickshaws were put on charge around 10pm and the explosion happened around 3.30 am.

Fire tenders reached around 5.30 am, an hour after they called, neighbours said. Fire officials said they received the call at 5.06 am. Six fire tenders controlled the blaze by 6:30 am, a fire official said.

Fire officials said the building did not have a no-objection certificate.

“The owner has to obtain an

Shahdara in east Delhi is one of the oldest localities of Delhi

It has eight union councils Shahdara is the fourth station from Dilshad Garden on Red Line of the Delhi Metro

The Mohan Park area in Shahdara is a middle-class neigbourhood

NOC from the corporation. The corporation asks us to give a fire NOC, which was not obtained,” said Delhi fire chief GC Mishra.

In a four-storey building like this one, there has to be two staircases, proper ventilation and fire extinguishers, which were missing, Mishra said.

The house was constructed three years ago by a builder who made eight flats, of which six were given to Pradeep and his three brothers. The remaining were rented out by the builder. Neighbours evacuated at least seven people from the back of the building with bamboo ladders. People used the ladders to climb to the next building.

Harveen Singh, a neighbour who saved lives before the fire brigade arrived, said, “When I entered the house, I saw the e-rickshaws on fire. I and two other boys entered the building and saw people lying on the floor.”