A massive fire engulfed an e-charging station in the Shahdara area of Delhi on Sunday (May 25). The fire incident took place at around 6:40 am near Moti Ram Road in Shahdara today. The fire department received a call, and around five fire tenders were dispatched to the spot. The fire was brought under control by 8:30 am.
According to the fire department, two charred bodies were recovered from the site, and four injured individuals have been admitted to GTB Hospital. E-rickshaws were being charged under a tin shed in an area spread over 400 square yards.
Brijesh, 19, and Maniram, 18, both natives of Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh, perished in the fire, police said. The two were asleep when the fire broke out and got trapped inside. Their charred bodies were recovered from the debris after the fire was brought under control, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said.
Delhi Police said, "The incharge of the station- Vinod Rathore has been apprehended and legal action is being taken."
The fire broke out in a tin shed structure, which functioned as a godown-cum-parking and charging station for e-rickshaws, as well as a storage house for sugarcane juice machines. The structure measures around 300 to 400 square yards and is located near Ram Mandir on Moti Ram Road in Shahdara's Ram Nagar area.
"The fire was significant and had engulfed most of the shed when our teams arrived. We managed to control the fire by 8.30 am. During the operation, we recovered two charred bodies from the site," DFS chief Atul Garg said.
The four burned were rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital for treatment. They were identified as Harishankar, 19, a resident of Bhawai in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rinku, 18, Mukesh, 22, and Vipin, 19, all three from Maharajganj in Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh.
Harishankar sustained 45 per cent burns, Rinku 30 per cent, while Mukesh and Vipin suffered around seven per cent each. All six sold sugarcane juice on e-rickshaws and used to live in the shed, police said. According to a preliminary inquiry, the fire is suspected to have sparked from an electrical short circuit while charging.
Officials said a detailed inspection will be conducted to examine the fire safety compliance of the premises. Police have apprehended the person, Vinod Rathore, who is in charge of the premises, and had rented the godown.
"Legal action is being taken. Rathore has been detained and is being questioned about the safety standards and the presence of the workers in the shed at the time of the fire," a police officer said. According to the police sources, the shed did not have even basic fire safety equipment.