Six members of a family were injured when the roof of their two-storey house collapsed and caused a fire in outer north Delhi on Sunday, police said. The incident occurred in Shani Bazar area around 7 am while the family was reportedly cooking, resulting in impact and burn injuries, they said.
“We received a call regarding a fire and building collapse in Shani Bazar area of Narela at 7.53 am. Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately,” Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg said.
He said that the roof of DDA Janta flat collapsed, breaking the PNG gas pipeline and causing the fire. The fire spread across the house. Raju (40), his wife Rajeshwari (35), their son Rahul (18), and their three daughters — Mohini (12), Varsha (5) and Mahi (3) — were in the kitchen when the roof caved in trapping them under the debris, a police officer said.
He said that neighbours rushed to the spot to help the injured before emergency services arrived.
“Initially we received a call regarding cylinder blast at NIA police station area. The matter was informed to the Delhi Fire Services and teams were rushed to the spot,” the officer said.
Eyewitnesses initially feared that a cylinder explosion might have caused the collapse. However, after a thorough inspection it was confirmed that there was no blast, he said.
The officer said that the injured were taken to Raja Harishchandra hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Doctors said that the family members sustained a mix of impact injuries from the debris and burn injuries due to the proximity of the cooking fire.
According to doctors, Raju sustained 52 per cent burn injury, his wife sustained 45 per cent burn injury and his son sustained 45 per cent burn injury. His daughters, Mohini, Varsha and Mahi, sustained — 50 per cent, six per cent cent and eight per cent — burn injuries respectively, they said. Further investigation in the matter is underway, the officer said.
