7 Charred To Death In Massive Fire In Gokalpuri, Delhi CM Announces Ex-Gratia

DELHI: Seven people lost their lives in a massive fire that broke out in shanties of northeast Delhi’s Gokalpuri in the wee hours of Saturday.

As many as 30 shanties were gutted in the fire that erupted near pillar number 12 in Gokalpuri village at about 1 am, an official of the Delhi Fire Services said, adding that the blaze was brought under control by 4 am.

“Thirteen fire engines were pressed into action,” the fire official said. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, he stated.

Charred bodies of seven people were recovered from the affected shanties, a senior police officer informed.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the area on Saturday morning, announced an ex gratia amount of Rs 10 lakhs for the families of the deceased who were adult and Rs 5 lakhs for the children who died in the fire. The people whose shanties were reduced to ashes will get a financial assistance of Rs 25,000.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and several other politicians across political spectrum expressed grief over the incident. “The incident of fire in Delhi’s Gokalpuri is heart-wrenching. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,” PM Modi said in a tweet.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and local BJP MP Manoj Tiwari met the victim families in the area.

In a statement, Tiwari demanded the Delhi government to increase the ex-gratia amount to Rs 1 crore for the next of kin of each victim. He also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.  “Arrangements should be made for proper treatment of the injured,” he said.

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