Couple, 2-year-old die after fire traps family inside locked home in Delhi's Rohini

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like A couple and their two-year-old child were killed in a fire that reportedly began in a heap of plastic scrap and engulfed their hutment on a 400-square-yard plot near a factory in Delhi's Rohini. The blaze broke out on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, police said. The fire reportedly originated from a heap of plastic scrap (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)The police said they are ascertaining whether the plastic waste was thrown by the factory and the reason for the blaze. They identified the deceased as Mosibur Dastagir, 23, Monara Shaikh, 19, and Maimuna Shaikh, 2. The family had locked their house from the inside and couldn’t find the key to open the door in time, according to fire officials and family members. Police said the fire broke out around 12.45am and that four hutments, where ragpickers lived near Mange Ram Park at Budh Vihar, were engulfed in flames. The fire was controlled around 1.30-2am, following which the bodies of the deceased were retrieved. “The forensics team has been called to inspect the spot. The exact cause of the fire is being ascertained. However, a case has been registered,” Shashank Jaiswal, deputy commissioner of police (Rohini), said. Delhi Fire Services said they were informed about the fire at 1.25am. “We sent out seven fire tenders to the spot. The narrow lanes near the park prevented large fire tenders from reaching the site on time. There was a 15-20-minute delay. The fire had rapidly spread due to the scrap material. All others were rescued, but the family was trapped due to the lock. Water tankers installed on nearby buildings were damaged due to the high heat and blaze. Electrical wires also melted,” said a divisional fire officer who was present at the site. Eyewitnesses said that the fire spread within minutes due to the scrap and residents only had seconds to escape. The deceased family had come from South 24 Parganas in West Bengal around four years ago and they were planning to visit home in two days to cast their votes in the state elections and also attend a family function. Ameen Shaikh, Mosibur’s cousin, said, “We all live near Budh Vihar but Mosibur had shifted to the empty plot two months ago due to electricity and water shortage. We spoke to his neighbours, who told us that Mosibur tried to throw his daughter to save her, but they could not get out in time.” The family said Mosibur usually locked his house from the inside with a big steel lock, due to thefts reported in the area. Ameen also alleged that the fire could have been started by residents over rivalry. “He would lock his house when they slept. They woke up and tried to unlock the door but it was too late. They could not find the key,” Md Islam, a neighbour, said. Police said they are looking into allegations of foul play. Monara’s mother, Rasheda, said, “There is a family function in our village this month and we were all excited to go. Now, everything is gone. Police should check if anyone did this intentionally; how can a fire start on its own at an empty plot?” Jignasa Sinha is a Principal Correspondent who's writes on Delhi crime, gender and labour.