20220427 Gurugram: Storm fans blaze, 1,000 shanties destroyed
India Apr 27 2022 “Building” “Houses”
Dead : dead 1 to 4 Burnout : more than 70 Injured : injured 1 to 9
Gurugram: Storm fans blaze, 1,000 shanties destroyed
Updated: 2022-04-27
GURUGRAM: Fanned by strong winds, a fire raced through a slum cluster around the same time a dust storm hit the city on Monday night, destroying around 1,000 shanties in a Manesar village and leaving one woman dead. The blaze turned everything in its way into ash within a few hours, engulfing everything in a 25-acre area.
It took a massive firefighting operation that lasted six hours and involved 35 fire tenders, including reinforcements called out from the adjoining districts of Rewari, Nuh and Jhajjar, to control the flames. On Tuesday evening, firefighters were still spraying the area with water to douse any streaks here and there.
Officials said around 500 families living in the slum were affected. Most of the families are of migrant workers, many of them from Bihar.
The woman who died was identified as Meena Devi (50), who collected scrap and sold them for a living. Three injured persons were admitted in various hospitals. One of them suffered 40% burns and was referred to AIIMS in Delhi.
Officials in the fire department said the cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained. They said the strong winds aided the flames and gutted the shanties at a much faster pace. It wasn’t clear where the fire originated, in one of the shanties or a short circuit somewhere or from a dump for garbage and scrap in the area.
“We received a call around 10.30pm and rushed our fire tenders to the spot. The flames were spreading so fast that it was difficult to control them. We urgently sought help from the nearby districts of Rewari, Nuh and Jhajjar. Fire-fighting equipment from the factories of Maruti and Haldiram and even the air force was used to bring the blaze under control. It took us more time because the strong winds were fanning the flames,” said Gulshan Kalra, deputy director (technical) in the fire department.
For the 500 families, dreams built over the years were shattered overnight. Most of the earning members did odd jobs in the city and had bought essentials such as utensils, TV sets and basic furniture with their modest income.
Officials said temporary arrangements had been made for sheltering the homeless families. “A government hall will be used for this. The families will be given food, water and other basic amenities for a week,” said Ankita Chaudhury, the sub-divisional magistrate. An FIR on charges of negligence has been filed against unknown persons at Kherki Daula police station.
Web Source: The Times of India