Man dead, another hurt as major fire breaks out at slum in Rohini

A person was killed while another suffered injuries after a major fire broke out in a cluster of jhuggis near the Delhi Jal Board staff quarters in Sector 5, Rohini, close to the Rithala Metro station, here late on Friday night.

Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials said they got a call regarding the blaze around 10:50 pm on Friday. Initially, two fire tenders and three water bowsers went sent to the spot under the supervision of Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) AK Sharma. As the flames intensified, the fire was declared of ‘medium category’, triggering a massive response. Later, more units were dispatched to the spot.

“A total of 29 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames,” the officials said. Senior officers, including Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) SK Dua, along with other divisional and assistant divisional officers, supervised the firefighting operations.

The blaze engulfed hundreds of makeshift huts. Officials said around 400-500 jhuggis were gutted in the blaze. Firefighting operations were carried out through the night to control the flames.

The Delhi Police said a PCR call regarding the fire was received at the Budh Vihar police station around 10:50 pm. “Police personnel rushed to the spot and assisted the Fire Department in evacuation and firefighting efforts,” an officer said.

A man, identified as Rajesh (30), sustained serious burn injuries in the incident. He was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital. Another man, identified as Munna (30), was declared dead on arrival at Dr BSA Hospital. His body was later handed over to the police for further investigation.

A case has been registered under Sections 287, 125(A) and 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Budh Vihar police station. Forensic and crime teams have been roped in to determine the cause of the fire, which is yet to be ascertained.