Delhi fire tragedy: Building owner Rehan detained

Delhi Police today detained building owner Rehan in connection with the Anaj Mandi fire incident, which claimed 43 lives.He was booked by police under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter).

The incident was reported around 5.22 am. Over 50 people were inside the factory operating from a residential area when the fire broke out. Thirty fire trucks are at the site and have taken the situation under control. The fire is suspected to have started at the workshop of the bag manufacturing factory.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to families of those killed and additional assistance of one lakh to those who were injured. The government has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and sought a report within seven days.


Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a tweet in Hindi said saddened at the news that a massive fire in the Anaj Mandi area of Delhi has claimed many lives and left several people injured.

Preliminary investigations suggest short circuit as the cause of the fire. "Prima facie, the fire seems to have occurred due to short circuit. There was a lot of plastic on the premises due to which there was smoke after the fire occurred. The deaths have mostly occurred due to asphyxiation due to smoke. We have shifted most of the injured to LNJP Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital," a police official was quoted by news agency ANI.