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  3 kids among family of 5 killed in blaze

3 kids among family of 5 killed in blaze

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : Nov 24, 2015, 12:50 am IST
Updated : Nov 24, 2015, 12:50 am IST

In a tragic incident, a couple and their three children died while several others sustained injuries when a fire broke out at a slum cluster in northwest Delhi’s Bhalswa Dairy area in the early hours

In a tragic incident, a couple and their three children died while several others sustained injuries when a fire broke out at a slum cluster in northwest Delhi’s Bhalswa Dairy area in the early hours of Monday.

According to the police, the deceased were identified as Kalam (35), his wife Ravina (32), who was visually impaired, and their three sons — Salamat (8), Niyamat (6) and 8-month-old Ajmat. They were natives of Madhubani district in Bihar, a senior police official said.

“At around 3 am, we received a call about a fire at four slums near Raja Masjid in Bhalswa Dairy area. Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control in 30 minutes. However, five persons were dead by then. A cooling operation was launched at around 3.30 am,” said a fire department official.

Teams of Delhi Disaster Management Authority and police stations under the Model Town sub-division were also rushed to the spot, the fire official added.

The police said that five members of the family, along with few others who sustained injuries in the process of trying to douse, were rushed to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, where Kalam, Ravina and the three children were declared brought dead. Their bodies were sent for the autopsy and the reports are awaited, added the police.

Investigating officials said that the cause of fire is yet to be ascertained even as samples were picked up from the spot. “A team of forensics was called that picked up samples and further action will be taken as per reports,” said a senior police officer.

The police would also be examining as to why Kalam’s family couldn’t escape the fire, the officer said. As of now, it is suspected that they choked to death while they were asleep and their bodies were charred in the fire, the investigating officials said, adding, “We are questioning neighbours to ascertain whether the family had a dispute with anyone.”

The police said that Kalam was a daily-wager and the family had been staying in the JJ clusters for the past several years, ever since Kalam shifted to the city from Bihar in search of job. The deceased relatives in the native state have been informed about the mishap, added the senior police officer. A case under relevant sections has also been registered and further investigations are on.

Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi