View source for 2019 Delhi factory fire

{{Short description|Conflagration in India}}
{{Old news|date=March 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox event
| title             = 2019 Delhi fire
| image             = 
| image_size        =
| date              = {{start date|df=yes|2019|12|08}}
| time              = 4:45–5:00&nbsp;a.m. [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| venue             = Luggage bag factory
| place             = Anaj Mandi area, [[Delhi]], India
| coordinates       = {{coord|28.6594|N|77.2046|E|type:event_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| reported death(s) = 43 
| reported injuries = 56+
| cause             = <!--- Electrical short circuit--->
| notes             =
}}
{{Location map|India Delhi|lat_deg=28.6594|lon_deg=77.2046|caption=Location of the fire in Delhi}}
On 8 December 2019, a fire occurred at a factory building in Anaj Mandi area of [[Delhi]], India. At least 43 people died and more than 56 were injured.<ref name="indiatoday combustible" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-fire-accident-43-dead-as-fire-engulfs-factory-building-in-delhis-anaj-mandi-area/articleshow/72421986.cms|title=Delhi fire: 43 dead as fire engulfs factory building in Delhi's Anaj Mandi area|last=Chand|first=Sakshi|date=2019-12-08|website=The Times of India|access-date=2019-12-08}}</ref>

The fire started at a workshop that produced school bags and shoes.<ref name="NDTV43dead" /> The [[Delhi Fire Service]] (DFS) received a call for help around 5:22&nbsp;a.m. [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] and reached the location within five minutes, but their entry to the building was prevented by the intensity of the fire and blockages to the entry points. Gas cutters had to be employed to remove the iron grilles. Thirty-five [[fire engine]]s extinguished the fire<ref name="NDTV43dead" /> with an estimated 150 firemen involved who were able to rescue 63 people. A team from the [[National Disaster Response Force]] was deployed to assist the fire department in the rescue work.

According to the police, most of the people who died were labourers who had been sleeping inside the factory. Doctors stated that deaths were due to asphyxiation caused by [[smoke inhalation]] and [[carbon monoxide poisoning]]. The cause of the fire is being investigated. A preliminary investigation and eye witness claims have suggested an electrical [[short circuit]] may have been the cause.

The factory was operating in a residential area and according to the local fire chief, the building lacked a proper fire license, and its use as a factory was illegal. The [[Delhi Police]] Crime Branch is investigating the case, and the owner of the building and his manager were arrested on the day of the fire. [[Arvind Kejriwal]], chief minister of Delhi, announced a compensation of {{INRConvert|10|l|lk=on|year=2020}} to the [[next of kin]] of each person that died and {{INRConvert|1|l|lk=off|year=2020}} for the injured. Whereas, [[Narendra Modi]], prime minister of India, also declared a compensation of {{INRConvert|2|l|lk=on|year=2020}} lakhs rupees for dead and {{INRConvert|50|k|lk=on|year=2020}} thousand rupees for the injured.<ref name="ElkeesMedia">{{cite news |first1=Lalit|last1=Sharma|title=Delhi Fire Update: 43 people died in the fire, factory owner arrested and… |url=https://www.elkeesmedia.com/news/delhi-fire-update-43-people-died-in-the-fire-factory-owner-arrested-11672.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807215443/https://www.elkeesmedia.com/news/delhi-fire-update-43-people-died-in-the-fire-factory-owner-arrested-11672.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 August 2020 |work=ElkeesMedia.com |date=9 December 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-12-09}}</ref>

== Fire ==
The fire occurred at the {{Convert|600|sqft|sqm|abbr=on}} plot of a luggage bag factory in the Anaj Mandi area of Central Delhi in the early morning of 8 December 2019.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="NDTV43dead" /><ref name=":1" /> At least 100 people were sleeping inside the factory, of whom more than 60 were rescued.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |title=Dozens dead in Delhi bag factory fire |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50703659 |access-date=8 December 2019 |date=8 December 2019}}</ref> According to a report from ''[[The Hindu]]'', the fire started in the second floor of the building and quickly spread to the third and fourth floor where the workers had been sleeping.<ref name="bbc" /> The residents of the first two floors were able to escape, but those on the third and the fourth floors were trapped, since the fire blocked their exit and the windows had iron grilles over them.<ref name="death chamber">{{Cite news |last1=Trivedi |first1=Saurabh |title=Delhi Anaj Mandi fire tragedy: Workers trapped in death chamber with no escape |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/anaj-mandi-fire-tragedy-workers-trapped-in-death-chamber-with-no-escape/article30238989.ece |access-date=8 December 2019 |work=The Hindu |date=8 December 2019 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

One worker made a phone call to his family from the building and stated that they were trapped by the fire and there was no way to escape.<ref name="NDTVLastCall">{{Cite news |first1=Mukesh|last1=Singh Sengar|editor1-first=Vaibhav|editor1-last=Tiwari|title="Brother, Going To Die Today": Delhi Fire Victim In Last Phone Call |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-fire-news-delhi-fire-victim-in-last-phone-call-brother-going-to-die-today-2145403 |access-date=8 December 2019 |work=NDTV.com |date=8 December 2019}}</ref>

==Rescue==
The [[Delhi Fire Service]] (DFS) received a call for help around 5:22 am IST ([[UTC+05:30]]).<ref name=":0" /> According to the first responders of the DFS, they had reached the location within five minutes, but their entry to the building was prevented by narrow passageways and the intensity of the fire.<ref name="death chamber" /> A total of thirty five [[fire engine]]s reached the area and eventually doused the fire.<ref name="NDTV43dead" /><ref name=":0" />

A firefighter stated that the entry from the terrace was blocked by the locked doors, and that the windows had iron grilles. Gas cutters were employed to remove the grilles.<ref name="death chamber" /> The lane leading to the main entrance was congested and could only allow the entry of one fire engine at a time. A second staircase in the building was blocked with stacks of raw materials for the factory.<ref name="death chamber" />

An estimated 150 firemen were involved in the rescue operation and rescued 63 people.<ref name="indiatoday combustible" />

A [[National Disaster Response Force]] team was deployed to assist the fire department in the rescue work. The NDRF team had searched the factory for any remaining trapped victims<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |first1=Rajendra|last1=Jadhav|editor1-first=Himani|editor1-last=Sarkar|title=Fire at New Delhi factory kills 43 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-fire/fire-at-new-delhi-factory-kills-43-idUSKBN1YC036 |accessdate=8 December 2019 |work=Reuters |date=8 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and swept the area with gas detectors.<ref name="NDTV NDRF">{{cite news |editor1-first=Chandrashekar|editor1-last=Srinivasan|title=Delhi Factory Where 43 Died In Fire Was Illegal, Didn't Have Clearances |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-fire-news-delhi-factory-where-43-died-in-fire-was-illegal-didnt-have-clearances-2145363 |accessdate=8 December 2019 |work=NDTV.com}}</ref> According to the NDRF deputy commander, the third and fourth floors were filled with smoke and the levels of hazardous [[carbon monoxide]] (CO) were found to be very high.<ref name="NDTVLastCall" />

==Victims==
Forty-three people died and more than 56 were injured. Two fire fighters were also injured in the incident.<ref name="indiatoday combustible">{{cite news |last1=P |first1=Tanushree |last2=Sharma |first2=Puneet Kumar |title=Delhi fire: Building did not have fire clearance, stored combustible material |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-fire-building-did-not-have-fire-clearance-stored-combustible-material-1626476-2019-12-08 |accessdate=8 December 2019 |work=India Today |date=8 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref> According to fire and police officials, the injured were shifted to [[Lady Hardinge Hospital]], [[RML Hospital]], [[Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital|LNJP Hospital]], and [[Hindu Rao Hospital]].<ref name="NDTV43dead" /><ref name=":1" />

An LNJP Hospital official stated that thirty-four people were brought dead to the hospital''',''' with [[smoke inhalation]] being the primary cause of the death. Some of the bodies were charred. He added that among the fifteen injured, nine were under observation.<ref name=":1" />

According to the police, most of the dead were labourers who were sleeping inside the factory and died due to [[asphyxia]]tion.<ref name="NDTV43dead">{{cite news |title=43 Dead In Fire At Luggage Factory In Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal Visits Site |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/32-dead-in-fire-at-factory-in-delhi-news-agency-ani-2145193 |accessdate=8 December 2019 |work=NDTV.com |date=8 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/08/india/india-delhi-fire-intl-hnk/index.html|title=At least 43 killed in Delhi factory fire|author=Swati Gupta and Vedika Sud|website=CNN|date=8 December 2019 |access-date=2019-12-08}}</ref>

==Investigation==
The state government ordered an investigation and a report be delivered within seven days.<ref name=":0" /> The cause of the fire is still unknown and is being investigated. According to eye witnesses and the preliminary police investigation, an electrical short circuit was the probable cause.<ref name="bbc" /> A police official added that a large amount of plastic stored in the premises led to smoke after the fire started. The smoke caused asphyxiation and death among the residents.<ref name="NDTV43dead" />

The luggage bag factory was operating in a residential area.<ref name="NDTV43dead" /> According to the local fire chief, the building lacked a proper fire licence and its use as a factory was illegal.<ref name="bbc" /><ref name="indiatoday combustible" /> The [[Delhi Police]] filed a case against the two owners of the factory and assigned it to the Crime Branch for investigation.<ref name="NDTVCutting">{{cite news |title=Rescuers Seen In Video Cutting Through Wall Of Burning Building In Delhi |url=https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/rescuers-seen-in-video-cutting-through-wall-of-burning-building-in-delhi-2145299 |accessdate=8 December 2019 |work=NDTV |date=8 December 2019}}</ref> The owner of the building and his manager were arrested on the same day under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter).<ref name="OwnerArrested">{{cite news |title=Delhi fire tragedy: building owner and his manager arrested |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-fire-tragedy-building-owner-and-his-manager-arrested/article30237895.ece |accessdate=8 December 2019 |work=The Hindu |date=8 December 2019 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

The government of Delhi stated that [[Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs]] (MoHUA) of the Central [[Government of India]] had "minted false claims" about the Delhi factory fire to hide the "corruption and inefficiency of the municipal corporation".<ref name="NDTV centre" /> It also alleged that the MoHUA was defending the illegal factory.<ref name="NDTV centre">{{cite news |title=Centre ''Minted False Claims To Hide Corruption'' In Fire Tragedy: Delhi |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/centre-minted-false-claims-to-hide-corruption-in-fire-tragedy-delhi-2145531 |accessdate=9 December 2019 |work=NDTV.com}}</ref> The Delhi Fire service had stated that the factory had no fire clearance or permits to operate and was illegal, and that safety equipment was unavailable.<ref name="News18Forget">{{cite news |title='Will Never Forget What I Saw': Eyewitnesses Recount Horror of Delhi Blaze That Killed 43 |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/will-never-forget-what-i-saw-eyewitnesses-recount-horror-of-delhis-anaj-mandi-blaze-that-killed-43-2416685.html |accessdate=9 December 2019 |work=News18 |date=9 December 2019}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==
[[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Narendra Modi]] tweeted about the incident, calling it "extremely horrific", and announced a compensation of {{INRConvert|2|l}} to [[next of kin]] of each person that died and {{INRConvert|50000}} for the injured.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/politics/delhi-factory-fire-pm-modi-announces-rs-2-lakh-for-families-of-killed-4834841.htm|title=Delhi factory fire: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh for families of killed|website=cnbctv18.com|date=8 December 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-09}}</ref><ref name="NDTV43dead" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/delhi-fire-anaj-mandi-news-updates-rani-jhansi-road-factory-lnjp-hospital-jhandewalan-narendra-modi-arvind-kejriwal-2416101.html|title=Delhi Fire Incident Extremely Horrific, Says PM Modi; Kejriwal Rushes to Site to Take Stock|website=News18|access-date=2019-12-08}}</ref> [[Arvind Kejriwal]], the chief minister of state, reached on site to make overall assessment, and announced a compensation of {{INRConvert|10|l}} to next of kin of each person that died and {{INRConvert|1|l}} for the injured.<ref name="NDTV43dead" /><ref name=":1" /> [[Manoj Tiwari (Delhi politician)|Manoj Tiwari]], [[Bharatiya Janta Party]] state president, announced a compensation of {{INRConvert|5|l}} to the next of kin of each person that died and {{INRConvert|25000}} to those who were injured.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Dec 2019|first1=Times Now {{!}} 08|title=Delhi fire: BJP will give Rs 5 lakh compensation, says Manoj Tiwari|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhi-fire-bjp-will-give-rs-5-lakh-compensation-says-manoj-tiwari/videoshow/72424458.cms|access-date=2019-12-09|last2=Ist|first2=02:17 Pm |date=8 December 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/multimedia/video-gallery/general/delhi-fire-bjp-announces-compensation-of-rs-5-lakhs-to-kin-of-deceased-95644.htm|title=Delhi fire: BJP announces compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to kin of deceased|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2019-12-09}}</ref>

Fireman Rajesh Shukla was praised by the state Home Minister [[Satyendra Jain]] for rescuing 11 people. Shukla was an early responder and entered the building to rescue people without waiting for backup to arrive. He suffered bone injuries and was admitted to LNJP Hospital for treatment.<ref name="NDTVHero">{{cite news |title="Real Hero": Minister Showers Praise On Delhi Fireman Who Saved 11 People |url=https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/anaj-mandi-fire-delhi-fireman-saves-11-people-earns-minister-satyendra-jains-praise-2145314 |accessdate=8 December 2019 |work=NDTV.com}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Disasters in India in 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delhi factory fire, 2019}}
[[Category:2019 disasters in India]]
[[Category:2019 fires in Asia]]
[[Category:2019 industrial disasters]]
[[Category:2010s in Delhi|2019 factory fire]]
[[Category:Building and structure fires in Delhi]]
[[Category:December 2019 in India]]
[[Category:Factory fires]]
[[Category:Industrial fires and explosions in India]]
[[Category:Urban fires in Asia]]