NHRC notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi and the Commissioner of Police over reported fire in an illegal factory killing four(22.11.2018)



22nd November, 2018

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo moto cognizance of a media report that an illegal factory caught fire in the congested area of Karol Bagh, Delhi in which four workers were charred to death and another is battling for his life. The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi calling for detailed reports within for weeks. The Commission would like to know about the action taken against the negligent public servants and steps taken to ensure that these kinds of tragic incidents do not recur in future.

The Commission has observed that the accident could have been averted, if the authorities had executed their designated duties, sincerely. It seems that there were no fire fighting arrangements available at the factory operating in a residential area. The incident raises several issues regarding working of civic authorities in the National Capital, as well as police authorities, who are responsible to manage the traffic to avoid congestion, so that in case of any emergency the fire tenders could reach close the site of the incident, within time.

According, to the media report, carried on 20th November, 2018, fire officials have stated that though they had reached close to the accident site within a few minutes, but due to congestion on the road, the vehicle could not be brought closer and they had to use their pipes to douse the flames from a distance. The DCP (Central) had reportedly stated that one of the workers was pouring a white solvent in a spray machine when it suddenly caught fire. The solvent usually has petroleum, due to which it is highly inflammable. The police authorities have stated that a case under section 304 IPC has been registered. The owner of the factory, as mentioned in the news report, was present at the time of incident, but he fled from the spot when the fire broke out. Bodies of the workers were found in a room at the back of the building from where they had tried to escape, but got asphyxiated due to heavy smoke.

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