NEW DELHI: Three migrant workers died after a fire broke out in a temporary settlement in East Delhi’s Anand Vihar on Tuesday.
The blaze erupted around 2 am in a tent housing four labourers.
Emergency services responded after receiving a distress call at 2.42am. Fire tenders arrived at the scene and extinguished the flames.
The workers had been residing in the makeshift shelter situated on a plot near a drainage canal.
According to police, the victims had placed a container of diesel on a cooler stand to light up their tent before retiring for the night around 11 pm. The tent's entrance had been secured with a padlock.
Survivor Nitin Singh (32), from Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad, told authorities that Shyam Singh noticed the fire around 2 am and attempted to unlock the entrance but failed. While Nitin managed to escape, his three companions became trapped inside.
The deceased have been identified as Jaggi (30) from Banda, Uttar Pradesh, and brothers Shyam Singh (40) and Kanta Prasad (37) from Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. A gas cylinder explosion further intensified the blaze.
Nitin sustained minor burn injuries to his leg and is currently receiving medical treatment.
The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to a mortuary for a post-mortem examination. Police have recorded statements from Nitin Singh, another labourer named Jeetender, and Rampal, the father of the two deceased brothers.
Police are continuing their investigation into the exact cause of the fire.
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