New Delhi: A day after a fire in a shoe-manufacturing unit in northwest Delhi’s Mangolpuri Industrial Area Phase-I killed four workers, two persons, one of the co-owners and a supervisor, were arrested from the spot Saturday.The accused, who have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days, were identified as Suresh Chand (76), a resident of Pitampura who ran the factory with his son, and super visor Ashok (47), a resident of Rohini who also supplied labourers. They have been booked under Section 105 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.“There was only one staircase in the building, and it was cluttered with goods, leaving hardly any space for people to move. There were no adequate fire-safety arrangements or ventilation. Several other shortcomings have also come to light,” a senior police officer said. Eight people were inside when the fire broke out, police said.The police officer added that these conditions pointed to culpability as there was no provision for workers to be rescued in the event of a fire. Even firefighters faced difficulties because of the factory’s poor layout.Police have also invoked sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 125(a) (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 3(5) (common intention) of BNS. They are probing whether the incident happened due to a short circuit. A senior fire official said the factory did not have a fire NOC.A senior police officer said that the fire broke out around 9.30pm Friday and was brought under control in nearly three hours.The building, which locals claimed was six years old, has a basement, ground floor and three upper floors.“The unfortunate incident of a fire breaking out in Mangolpuri, resulting in loss of lives, is extremely heartbreaking and distressing. In this hour of difficulty, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families,” chief minister Rekha Gupta posted on X.“All relevant agencies are engaged in relief and rescue operations. Instructions have been issued to officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured, all possible assistance and support to the affected families, and swift execution of relief efforts. The entire situation is being continuously monitored,” she added.The deceased have been identified as Ashok (25), from Bihar’s Nalanda district; Harihar (40), a resident of Mangolpuri; Lal Babu (38) and Prem Chand (50), while Harender (40) and Vikas Kumar (21) were injured. Harihar was working as a contractor at the factory, while the others were workers.Police said the father and the son were owners of the factory, while one more person’s named has cropped up as their partner. Police are awaiting documents to verify the ownership and management details.“Multiple teams are working to apprehend the other accused who are absconding, including the son,” a police officer said.A fire official said 20 fire tenders were sent to the spot. “A person was found on the staircase, while five others were found inside a room near the terrace, which was later opened,” the official said. He added that the fire appeared to have started in the basement and was contained there. The workers are suspected to have been trapped by the smoke that spread through the lift shaft.According to officials of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the factory is located in DSIIDC industrial area and has a valid licence issued in 2024, along with a Delhi Pollution Control Committee NOC valid until 2039. The factory licensing department had not inspected the premises, citing its valid licence and NOC under the ease-of-doing-business policy.An MCD official claimed the initial probe had pointed to alleged negligence by labourers as a possible cause of the fire. “A report will be submitted after documentary checks and on-ground verification are completed,” he said. Head constable patrolling area comes to the rescueA head constable was patrolling the area when he saw smoke rising from the factory. “Lights had gone out and I saw two people on the third floor, waving their phones with the flashlight on. I gestured to them to go to the terrace and jump over to the adjacent building.” The cop and a few locals then broke the main gate of the adjacent building and rescued them.
