New Delhi, March 5 Two charred bodies were recovered, while six others were found in a multi-story building after a fire broke out in the Sadar Bazar area of north Delhi, officials said on Thursday.
A call was received at 4:38 pm on Wednesday regarding a fire in a toy warehouse operating from a temporary tin shed on the top floor of the building located on Bahadurgarh Road near Bara Tooti Chowk, a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officer said.
The bodies were identified as Durkheli Sharma alias Shakar (60) and Rampravesh Ray (46), natives of Bihar. They were workers in the building, which also houses several shops selling bangles, toys, and purses.
Six other workers residing on the top floor of the building were rescued, the officer said.
Police said that locals started pelting stones, demanding that the DFS officers show them the charred bodies. The windshield of a government vehicle was damaged in the stone pelting, they added.
"Twenty-five fire tenders were deployed upon receiving the call," the officer said. The fire was brought under control at 3:20 am on Thursday, he added.
Police personnel on patrol in the Sadar Bazar area rushed to the spot after receiving information and alerted the fire brigade.
Initial reports suggested that several people were trapped inside the building, the police said.
Using access through an adjacent building and a nearby mosque, the personnel managed to rescue six people safely from the premises, they added.
The police further said that four Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CAT) ambulances were also deployed at the site during the rescue operation. The bodies were shifted to the Subzi Mandi mortuary.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, and a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has examined the spot.
An FIR has been registered under sections 287 (Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 106(1) (Causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Sadar Bazar police station, the police said.
Further investigation is underway, they added.
