Massive fire near Rithala metro station in Delhi engulfs hundreds of shanties, 1 dead
New Delhi (PTI): A man died and another sustained burn injuries after a massive fire broke out spreading to around 500 shanties near Rithala metro station in Delhi's Rohini, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the fire that erupted late Friday evening was brought fully under control by deploying adequate teams and those affected in the incident were being provided relief.
In a post on X, she said the injured were rushed to the hospital and relief and rehabilitation work was swiftly underway. The affected were provided food and water and temporary shelters were set up to shift them.
Police said several LPG cylinders were said to have exploded late Friday evening, intensifying the blaze and triggering panic among residents.
Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the area even as locals scrambled to save their belongings and move to safer places. Preliminary information suggests that 400 to 500 huts have been gutted, fire officials said.
The DFS said it received a call regarding the blaze at 10.56 pm, following which multiple fire tenders and firefighting robots were rushed to the spot.
Police cordoned off the area and additional fire tenders were kept on standby to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The fire was brought under control by early morning, a DFS official said. Munna died in the fire while Rajesh was injured in the incident.
CM Gupta said the Delhi government is providing all possible help to the affected families.
"Arrangements for food and drinking water have been made for the affected people. Temporary shelter sites are being established, while the permanent relief centre at Rithala community centre is operational," the chief minister posted.
"24×7 CATs ambulances and medical teams have been deployed. Debris removal work by MCD and verification of affected families by the revenue department are ongoing," she said.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
