New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) At least two children died and five people were injured when a major fire broke out in a sprawling slum cluster in west Delhi’s Narela area Friday afternoon.
Four firemen also sustained minor injuries when an angry mob attacked them, a fire service official said.
The children who died of burns have been identified as Sartaj and Manish, both aged around five.
“All the injured — including a 30-year-old woman and a 67-year-old man — were rushed to the Maharishi Valmiki Hospital, where their condition is stated to be out of danger,” a police officer said.
The injured are Mohammed Bhoora, Kalawati, Devi Lal, Mohammed Hasan and Omprakash.
Armed with stones and sticks, a mob attacked fire officials Sandeep, Sukhdev, Rakesh and Jaswant for delaying the rescue operation. A fire tender was also vandalised by the mob.
“Four fire service officials were injured in the attack. They have been admitted to hospital and their condition is stated to be stable,” Delhi Fire Service Director A.K. Sharma told IANS.
The fire erupted around 1.35 p.m. in a house at the jhuggi-jhompri colony of Narela and engulfed the entire area that housed over 500 shanties.
“Twenty fire tenders were rushed in. The fire was doused properly by 4.15 p.m.,” said a police officer.
“A case of negligence has been registered. It is yet to be ascertained what caused the fire,” he said.
He added that rescue operations were on.
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