At least two people were killed and three sustained burn injuries after a major fire broke out at a vacant plot used for storing scrap cardboard and cartons on Tuesday in outer Delhi's Pitampura village, police said.
A PCR call regarding the blaze was received early Tuesday, they said, adding that the fire had erupted at a vacant plot, where scrap cardboard and cartons were stored under temporary tin sheds.
On receiving information, the police immediately rushed to the spot and alerted the fire department. Six fire tenders were pressed into service and fire-fighting operations were launched to douse the flames, which spread rapidly due to the presence of a large quantity of highly inflammable material, the police said.
Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after sustained efforts. During the rescue operation, five people were found with burn injuries at the site. They were immediately shifted to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital in Jahangirpuri for treatment.
Two of the injured persons, identified as Biresh and Satish, were declared brought dead by doctors, while the remaining three are undergoing treatment, a senior police officer said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that all five people were residents of the Nalanda district in Bihar and were living under tin sheds erected at the plot. They were engaged in collecting scrap cardboard and cartons from nearby markets and selling them, the police said.
One of the injured persons, identified as Dinesh, told the police that he attempted to rescue Biresh and Satish after the fire broke out but was forced to retreat due to the intensity of the flames and heavy smoke.
Further verification at the site revealed that there were four tin sheds at the plot, of which two were completely gutted in the fire, while the remaining sheds were partially damaged. The rapid spread of the fire is suspected to have been caused by the combustible scrap material stored inside the sheds, police said.
The crime team and a forensic science laboratory (FSL) team inspected the spot and collected samples for further examination. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, they said.
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