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The injured were rushed to the LNJP Hospital where the condition of one of them is stated to be critical. The rest have been discharged.
According to officers, the fire was reported from the Shaheed jhuggis basti near railway tracks in Lahori Gate around 2.30 am. Thirty fire tenders were sent to the spot which took over two hours to douse the flames.
Among the seven dead were four members of a family. Om Pal (45) and his four children Sonu (19), Basanti (14), Kallo (5) and Divya (6) were sleeping inside their hut when the fire broke out. Pal’s wife Pushpa and their three other children were not at home as they had gone out to collect garbage. Pushpa said Divya was the only one who managed to escape while the rest were burnt to death.
Two of the deceased were identified as Mallika (60) and Rekha (19) while the seventh body is yet to be identified.
Police said the cluster was built illegally on the Northern Railway land. A railways team had surveyed the cluster just a couple of days ago and a relocation plan for the inhabitants was being finalised, said the officers.
Police suspect a short circuit caused the fire, though residents alleged that it was nothing but a conspiracy to remove them from the area.
Nazeer Khan, whose son Nazroor suffered 40 per cent burns, said: “I had seen some policemen in the area just half an hour before the fire broke out. They have been harassing us to vacate the area for some time now.”
Additional DCP (North) Atul Katiyar said: “The fire could have been due to a short circuit, or could have spread from an angithi.”
Delhi Fire Chief RC Sharma said the exact reason for the fire is not clear yet. “Windy conditions helped the fire spread,” he said.
CM announces relief
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit visited the accident site and issued instructions to ensure adequate relief material for the affected families. She announced an amount of Rs 1 lakh as ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased who were adults and Rs 50,000 in case of minors. An amount of Rs 20,000 will be given to those who have been seriously injured and Rs 1,000 to other injured. Dikshit announced a grant of Rs 2,000 each for the families whose houses have been completely gutted. The CM also instructed Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta to contact the railway authorities for providing possible assistance as the slum is situated near railway tracks. The Divisional Commissioner has been instructed to explore possibilities of providing additional assistance to those who lost their livelihood in the fire accident. The Revenue department has made arrangements to provide food, blankets, medical assistance and other immediate relief material. The affected families will be allowed to stay at night shelters keeping in view the cold conditions.
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