2 killed, 3 injured in fire at scrap storage plot in outer Delhi's Pitampura
New Delhi (PTI): At least two people were killed and three sustained burn injuries after a massive fire broke out at a vacant plot used for storing scrap cardboard and cartons in outer Delhi's Pitampura village early Tuesday, police said.
A PCR call regarding the blaze was received at around 1.25 am under the jurisdiction of Keshav Puram police station, following which police teams rushed to the spot and alerted the fire department, they said.
The fire erupted at a vacant plot near Vikas Niketan Society in Old Pitampura village, where scrap cardboard and cartons were stored under temporary tin sheds. Due to the presence of highly inflammable material, the fire spread rapidly, a senior police officer said.
According to the Delhi Fire Services, six fire tenders were initially pressed into service, which were later increased to a total of nine units, including water tenders, water bowsers, a quick response vehicle and other support units.
"The fire was declared under control at around 2.30 am after sustained firefighting efforts and was extinguished by 3.25 am," a fire official said.
The fire was reported in a cardboard godown comprising four tin sheds spread over an area of around 1,000 square yards. Two charred bodies were found at the site, he said.
During rescue operations, five people were found with burn injuries at the spot. All of them were immediately shifted to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital in Jahangirpuri for treatment.
Two of the injured persons -- Viresh (28) and Satish (35) -- were declared brought dead by doctors, police said. The remaining three injured persons are undergoing treatment, they added.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that all five people were residents of the Nalanda district in Bihar and were living under tin sheds erected on the plot. They were engaged in collecting scrap cardboard and cartons from nearby markets and selling them, police said.
One of the injured persons, identified as Dinesh, told police that he attempted to rescue Viresh and Satish after the fire broke out but was forced to retreat due to intense flames and heavy smoke.
Further verification revealed that two of the four tin sheds were completely gutted, while the remaining sheds were partially damaged. Five e-rickshaws, a motorcycle, wooden rickshaws and waste cardboard were also damaged in the fire, police said.
The crime team and a forensic science laboratory team inspected the site and collected samples. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, police said.
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Manipur: Mortal remains of children killed in bomb attack handed over to family
Imphal (PTI): The mortal remains of two children, who were killed in a bomb attack in Manipur's Bishnupur district in April, were handed over to family members on Saturday, officials said.
The bodies of the five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister were kept in the morgue for 25 days, as the family members had refused to accept the mortal remains, demanding that the perpetrators be brought to book at the earliest.
On April 25, Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh had appealed to the family members of the children to accept the bodies. Singh had also said that all efforts were underway to find the culprits.
The two children were killed in a bomb attack at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district on April 7. Their bodies were kept in the morgue at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal.
The incident had triggered widespread violent protests in the five valley districts of Manipur, and the case was subsequently handed over to the NIA.
Hundreds of people lined up along the way to Tronglaobi to offer floral tributes, as the mortal remains were taken for the last rites in an open vehicle earlier in the day.
