New Delhi:
A 46-year-old garment exporter and one of his employees were killed while 11 others suffered burn injuries when the building where he runs his business caught fire, officials said.
The fire broke out in the three-storeyed building at 9 PM last night after a suspected cylinder blast and was doused at 2 AM today. The exporter's wife, his daughter and eldest son and nine workers, who work at his export house, were injured.
"The fire broke out after a blast in the basement. The exporter Mushtaq and his worker Muquim were killed in the fire," a senior police official said.
Initial inquiries suggested that a leakage in gas cylinder caused explosion and spread to the refrigerator and the AC. Presence of inflammable substance like garments and wooden furniture resulted in the massive fire, the official said.
A case under sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance) of IPC has been registered. All the injured were rushed to Moolchand and Safdarjung hospitals.
While Mustaq succumbed to his injuries during treatment at Safdarjung hospital, the body of Muqim was found trapped in the debris inside the basement. Mustaq's son Mohammad Nasir and his daughter Inshu were recuperating in Apollo Hospital. The other injured are Mustaq's wife Bilkis Jahan, Mohammad Shamshad, Mohammad Safiq Bhatt, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Anwar, Mohammad Majid, Mohammad Manzoor, Nazima Altaf and Rakesh Gupta. The condition of Shamshad and Safiq was stated to be critical. All of them except Rakesh hail from Srinagar.