Delhi fire
45% burn injuries,” he told reporters, adding that 13 of the bodies were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, two to Lady Hardinge Hospital and two to BLK hospital.
Of the 13 bodies, ten were identified — three from Kerala, one from Gujarat, and two from Myanmar. The other four, officials said, have been identified but efforts were on to ascertain where they came from.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who condoled the loss of lives.“deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire at Karol Bagh in Delhi. I convey my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” he tweeted.
A majority of the deaths took place due to asphyxiation, fire officials said, while there were some who succumbed to their burns.
Some used fire extinguishers were found, suggesting people trapped inside tried to douse the flames in a bid to escape.
While the Delhi government ordered a magisterial probe, home minister Satyendar Jain said he has also directed the fire department to inspect buildings which are five floors or more. ments as “a cover to hide nervousness”, Yadav said that stopping him shows how “scared” the government is.
“I was stopped from boarding a flight to Allahabad to attend a students’ union programme. I haven’t been given a reason why but it seems the general impression was that I would create a law and order problem. Chief minister has given a statement to this effect but they are using this as a cover to hide their nervousness because our youth have had enough,” Yadav said.
“If there was a genuine problem, the police there would have objected, or asked for a change in my schedule. I understand the need to ensure the safety of people and property and would never do something to endanger either knowingly,” he added.
Coming out in support of Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati slammed the BJP government asking if it is “so scared” of the her party’s alliance with the SP. “Is BJP government so scared of SP-BSP alliance that they have started banning political events? They seem to be using Kumbh f or political agenda. Not allowing Akhilesh Yadav to go to Prayagraj proves that,” she tweeted. The SP and the BSP announced their alliance to fight the summer’s Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. The two parties had joined hands last year to hand over defeat to the BJP in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur bypolls.
Police and other officials of the state government were already present when Yadav reached the airport to board the aircraft, the SP chief alleged. The Samajwadi Party also released videos of Yadav’s detention. “Do not touch me. Keep your hands off me,” the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was heard shouting in the video.
Protests broke out in Allahabad, Jaunpur, Jhansi, Kannauj, Balrampur, Jalaun and Gorakhpur, among other places, where SP supporters smashed windscreens of vehicles and clashed with the police. SP leaders said party MP Dharmendra Yadav was injured in Allahabad in lathi charge by the police.
The issue also rocked both the Houses of the Uttar Pradesh legislature. Agitated SP legislators also sat on dharna outside Raj Bhawan against the “undemocratic behaviour” of the BJP government after staging a noisy protest in the UP legislature.