Five people, including four minors were killed in a fire that broke out in the wee hours here today at a paper-plate making factory in Begum Pur area of Outer Delhi.
The blaze broke out inside the two-room factory around 2:30 AM while five persons, all relatives of its owner, Pintu Shah were sleeping inside.
By the time the flames were controlled, all the five occupants, including Shah's five-year-old son Niranjan had suffocated to death, police said.
The other deceased have been identified as Nilesh (11), Shivam (15), Shravan Kumar (17) and Nitin (26) who, police said, hailed from Bihar.
Pintu Shah, who owned the factory, was sleeping in a nearby rented accommodation.
"All five died of suffocation because of the smoke," said a fire official.
The blaze was reported at 3.14 A.M. And eight fire tenders were dispatched to the spot to fight the flames. As the factory had a stockpile of paper-plates and other easily combustible raw material, the fire spread very fast. The flames were completely doused by 5:50 A.M., he added.
"The incident took place at A-305, Rajeev Vihar, in Begum Pur. The cause of the fire is yet to be established but initial investigation suggests that short circuit might have caused the fire. A FSL team has inspected the spot and we are waiting for a report which would establish the reason," said a senior police official.
Those killed were all relatives of the factory owner. A case under section 304A (causing death due to negligence) has been registered in this regard and further investigations are on, he added.
