Two children were burnt to death in a fire that broke out near Shri Niketan Apartments in Delhi’s Rohini Sector 17, engulfing around 800-1,000 jhuggis (makeshift houses), Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said.
According to the DFS statement, a call was received at 11.55 am saying that thick plumes were coming out of the jhuggi area near the apartment complex. A total of 20 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
Officials said at 2.05 PM, the bodies of two children, aged between 3 and 4 years, were found. However, the children have not yet been identified, and the search for other missing people continues.
Though the exact reason for the fire has not been ascertained yet, fire officials said the fire started from one jhuggi and quickly spread to others. “As the fire spread, it is possible that petroleum cylinders inside the jhuggis started bursting, which aggravated the fire. The exact reason, however, is being investigated,” a DFS official said.
Officials said that by 3.20 pm, most of the fire was doused and cooling operations were initiated. “Cooling operation is underway, and further details regarding the reason for the fire and its spread would be shared soon,” an official said.
Video footage of the incident showed charred trees at the entrance of the jhuggi area, with fire officials still trying to douse the fire.
In another fire incident, a blaze was reported in a forest area between Laxmi Nagar and ITO in Delhi. The area of incident comes under the Shakarpur police station.
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“A call was received at 12.08 pm about a loop of trees in the forest area, near the road towards ITO, catching fire. Initially, two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Later, another fire tender was dispatched to ensure the quick dousing of the fire. No casualties or injuries have been reported,” a DFS official said.
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