NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the Delhi chief secretary and the Delhi police commissioner after taking suo moto cognisance of media reports on the Karol Bagh fire in which four people were charred to death.The fire at the illegal workshop unit had left another victim batling for his life.
The Commission sought detailed reports on steps taken to ensure such tragic incidents do not recur. It also sought reports on the action taken against the people whose negligence led to the tragedy. According to media reports, the factory owner, who was present at the time of incident, fled the spot when the fire broke out on November 19. He was later arrested.
“The accident could have been averted if the authorities had taken precautionary measures and clamped down on the illegal factory as there was no fire-fighting arrangement available at the factory located in a residential area,” the Commission observed.
“The incident also raises several concerns on civic authorities and police authorities who are responsible for traffic management for fire tenders to reach an accident spot on time.” Fire officials said they could not reach close enough due to road congestion and they used their pipes to douse the flames from a distance, the NHRC said in its notice.