Six Killed And Eight Injured After Explosion In Delhi Factory, Located In A Residential Area

Six people were killed, and eight were taken to a hospital after a factory collapsed in West Delhi’s Moti Nagar on December 3, 2018, reported the Indian Express. The injured were taken to Acharya Bhikshu Hospital. The Hindustan Times reported the factory collapsed due to a compressor explosion leading to fire in the building. It is expected that more people are yet to be rescued out of the debris.

The police said that the explosion took place on the second floor of the factory where paint coating for ceiling fans was done. Eyewitness to the incident said that people who were working at a scrapyard nearby were also trapped in the collapsed building.

One Child Killed, And A Woman Was Injured

The Hindustan Times reported that the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Monika Bhardwaj said that there were at least 18 people in the two structures. She further added that of the deceased there was a child and the rest were men. These also included people working at the scrapyard. One of the dead people is yet to be identified. DCP said that of the injured there was a woman and the owner, Ankit Gupta. She said to the Hindustan Times that the rescue operation has ended and the municipal corporation has demolished the standing portion of the building.

The License Of The Factory Is To Be Checked

The cops have slammed a case on the factory under the sections 287, 288, 337 and 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code. The question on the license of the factory is still ambiguous as the unit is being run in a residential area. It is suspected that the factory failed to meet fire safety precaution. The DCP said that if the factory is found to be running without a license then a more stringent section 304 will be imposed.

Lack Of Light Obstructed Rescue Operation

Atul Garg who is the Chief Fire Officer had earlier commented that the fire department rescued around eight people by 10:45 pm on Thursday. The rescue operations struggled due to lack of light. The fire officials had to look for a generator to carry with the rescue operations. Neighbours who were the first to reach the spot said it was difficult to rescue the people. They used torches to navigate through the debris and bed sheets to carry them out. According to a neighbour, this is not the first collapse incidence in the neighbourhood. Around four to five years back, a blast in a boiler in another factory took place leaving several casualties.