Four charred, three critical after fire breaks out in Rithala chemical factory

Four people lost their lives while three others were severely injured in a blaze that broke out in a chemical factory in the Rithala area of Delhi’s Rohini, police said on Wednesday.

A total of 16 fire tenders were rushed to douse the blaze at the five-story building in the Rohini Sector-5 area on Tuesday, said the Delhi Fire Service officials.

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A DFS officer said the incident was reported from a premises located near the Rithala Metro Station. “We were alerted about the situation at 7:29 pm, and responding to it, we sent a fire tender to control the situation on the spot,” he added.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined even as investigation is in progress.

While the police have, so far, recovered four charred bodies, search operation is underway to ascertain if anyone is still trapped under the debris. “Initially, three injured people were rescued and taken to BSA Hospital. They were identified as Nitin Bansal (31) and Rakesh (30), both with 80% burn injuries, and Virender (25), who sustained minor burns. Both Nitin and Rakesh were later shifted to RML Hospital for further treatment,” he added.

According to the police, a PCR call regarding the blaze was received at Budh Vihar Police Station at 7.29 pm on Tuesday, following which an emergency officer, along with a local police team, rushed to the spot at Rana Complex, Gate No. 2, Rithala, where several people were reported trapped inside a burning building.

The five-story building houses several manufacturing units. The police said the ground and first floors were used for making readymade and plastic bags by Nitin Bansal, son of the building’s owner, Suresh Bansal. The second floor was rented to one Anand for fabric-related work, while the third and top floors were being used as godown space by Rakesh Arora, who dealt in disposable articles.

At around 1.15 am, fire personnel recovered three charred bodies from the first floor, which were beyond recognition, the officer added. Later, another body was found.

According to the fire officials, the fire was brought under control on the lower floors by 6 am on Wednesday, but firefighting operations were still underway on the third and top floors due to heavy smoke.