16 dead in Mundka building fire: Delhi Fire Service

As many as 16 people have been charred to death after a fire broke out in a three-storey building in the Mundka area of the national capital on Friday afternoon, a fire department official said.

As per earlier reports, a woman was charred to death in a fire that broke out in a building at Mundka area of west Delhi on Friday afternoon, and is still to be brought under control.

"There has been one casualty in the fire incident and efforts are being made to control the situation," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer district, Sameer Sharma said.

While Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg told IANS that three casualties were removed by the CATS staff before the arrival of the fire and later one female body was recovered, a Delhi Police official, denying reports of four casualties, said only one casualty has come to notice.

"Others are being sent to the hospital for medical assistance," said the official.

According to the police, around 60-70 persons have been rescued from the building.

Garg said that they received a call about the incident at a building located near pillar no 544, Mundka metro station around 4.40 p.m. after which 10 fire engines were immediately pressed into service.

As per visuals from the spot, thick fumes of black smoke could be seen billowing out of the three-storey building and the firemen used the fire truck ladder to reach the maximum possible height to spray water over the blaze.

The inferno was yet to be brought under control at the time of filing of this report and the fire fighting operation was still underway.

Sharma said that they also received the call about the incident around 4.45 p.m. and the local police immediately rushed to rescue the inmates.

"Police officials broke the windows of the building and rescued the inmates and got the injured admitted in the hospital," the DCP said.

Based on preliminary enquiry, the police said that it was a 3-storey commercial building generally used for providing office space for companies.

The fire incident initiated from the 1st floor of the building which is an office of CCTV cameras and router manufacturing company.

The police detained the owner of the company and his antecedents are being examined.