The fire broke out around 10 pm on Monday in a room on the first floor of the building where firecrackers had been stored illegally. The house owner has been taken into custody, the officials said.
A devastating fire broke out late Monday night in a three-storey residential building in Shanti Nagar Colony, Loni, claiming the life of one worker and leaving two others critically injured. The fire, which erupted around 10 PM, is suspected to have originated from a room on the first floor of the building where firecrackers had been illegally stored, officials confirmed.
The deceased has been identified as Mushir alias Rehan (24), a resident of Nayi Basti on Nidora Road. He was employed at a small embroidery unit operating on the ground floor of the building. Two of his co-workers — Mohammad Shad (21) and Sarfaraz (22), both residents of Prem Nagar — sustained severe burn injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital in Delhi. Their condition is reported to be critical.
Ajay Kumar Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ankur Vihar), confirmed that the building’s owner, Dharam Vir, has been taken into custody for questioning. Authorities are investigating the reason behind the illegal storage of firecrackers in a residential property.
“The fire started in a first-floor room that had a stockpile of firecrackers. This is a clear violation of safety norms. A forensic team has collected samples from the site for further examination,” Singh stated.
Chief Fire Officer Rahul Pal informed that the blaze was brought under control by local residents before fire tenders could reach the site. “Residents used water from submersible pumps to contain the fire. As a result, the fire tenders were called back,” Pal said.
Police and forensic teams remained at the scene through the night to assess damages and collect evidence. Authorities are also working to verify whether more firecrackers were being stored elsewhere in the building or in nearby structures.
The tragic incident has raised serious concerns over fire safety and illegal storage practices in residential areas. Officials have assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible to prevent such incidents in the future.
(PTI inputs)
