Tragic toll: 32 died, over 70 injured in Delhi fires in past 52 days

Thirty-two people died and more than 70 got injured in fire incidents in the national capital in the last 52 days, officials said on Thursday.
According to the official data, 16 people died in January and 16 lost their lives till February 21.

Delhi reported 51 injuries in January, and 21 people got injured till February 21, it stated.
Eleven people died in an explosion and subsequent fire in a paint factory in outer Delhi’s Alipur. Four people were injured in the fire that broke out on February 15.
The charred bodies of the 11 victims, 10 men and one woman, were recovered from the factory, which also houses chemical godowns, located in Alipur’s Dayalpur market.
The fire, which was preceded by a blast, soon spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops. One constable also sustained injuries, including burns.

In another incident on Wednesday, an 83-year-old woman died and her granddaughter sustained injuries after they jumped off the fourth floor of a residential building in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka when a fire broke out in their apartment on Wednesday.
A local present at the site said the residents arranged for bedsheets and mattresses to help them land safely.

“Pooja jumped first, but she was hurt as she hit the third and second floors before landing on the ground. However, when Jasuri Devi jumped, she hit the ground with a thud, and the people could not hold the bedsheet properly,” the local said.