Delhi fire filled building with carbon monoxide; most fatalities due to suffocation
New Delhi: The NDRF team that entered the Delhi building where at least 43 people died in a massive fire Sunday morning, said the building was filled with hazardous carbon monoxide.
Most workers of the illegal manufacturing units that ran in the four-storey building in north Delhi's Anaj Mandi area died due to suffocation.
After the Delhi Fire Service controlled the fire, the National Disaster Response Force searched the building for hazardous gases with gas detectors, said Aditya Pratap Singh, deputy commander, NDRF.
"We found carbon monoxide (CO). After which we searched the area manually. The entire third and fourth floor of the building was engulfed with smoke. The content of CO was more," he said.
The hazardous gas has no odour or colour, is generally produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood do not burn fully. The NDRF deputy commander said his team found some windows at the building were sealed.
"There was a room, where most of the workers were sleeping, which had only a single space for ventilation. The maximum number of workers were shifted from the third floor. Due to the burning of the materials present in the building, CO was formed, which explains the reason for high CO content," he said.
The fire incident was the second worst in the city, since the 1997 Uphaar Cinema tragedy that claimed 59 lives.
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Centre further tightens wheat stock limit for wholesalers, retailers & processors
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday further tightened wheat stock holding norms for wholesalers, small and big chain retailers, and processors to curb hoarding and check price rise.
"As part of continuous efforts to moderate prices of wheat, the central government has decided to revise the wheat stock limit applicable until 31st March 2025," the food ministry said in a statement.
According to the revised norms, wholesalers are now allowed to maintain wheat stock up to 1,000 tonne instead of 2,000 tonne, retailer can hold 5 tonne for each outlet instead of 10 tonne, while big chain retailer can hold 5 tonne for each outlet instead of 10 tonne earlier.
Processors will be allowed to maintain 50 per cent instead of 60 per cent of their monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months till April 2025.
The stock limits on wheat were first imposed on June 24 and later revised to tighten the norms on September 9 in order to manage the overall food security and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation.
The ministry said all wheat stocking entities are required to register on the wheat stock limit portal (https://evegoils.Nic.In/wsp/login) and update the stock position every Friday.
If the stocks held by entities are higher than the prescribed limit, they should bring the quantity to the prescribed stock limits within 15 days of the issue of the notification.
Any entity which is found to have not registered on the portal or violates the stock limits will be subject to suitable punitive action under the Essential Commodities Act,1955.
The food ministry is maintaining close watch over the stock position of wheat to control prices and ensure easy availability in the country.
