NEW DELHI: A fire broke out at two factories in Narela industrial area here on Tuesday morning in which three firemen sustained injuries while trying to douse the flames, an official said.
Flames have been doused at one of the factories which produces 'dona-pattals' while efforts to control the fire are still on at the other factory where shoes are manufactured.
"We were trying to douse the fire when an LPG cylinder and a thinner container exploded on the second floor. Three firemen were injured in the incident. They were given first aid and called back on the spot," deputy chief fire officer Dharampal Bharadwaj told ANI.
"The fire has spread on all the floors including the basement. As many as 36 vehicles of the fire department are working to douse the fire. We have already doused the fire at the adjoining factory in the back," he added.
He said that the call for the fire was received at around 4:56 am.
"No casualties have been reported so far. We also enquired with the locals. They are confident that no one was inside the factory when the fire broke out," he added.
According to the locals, the fire started around 4 am after which they called the owner and fire department and ensured there was no one inside the factory.
"The fire started on the ground floor. We called the owner and fire department. There was no one inside the factory. It had been working for over 5-6 years," Ramakant, a local said.
This comes after two major fire tragedies in the national capital.
"These factories don't follow safety guidelines or rules. If these factories have the provisions, anyone can douse these fires when they start. By the time we reach the spot, the fire spreads. Later, people blame the fire tenders for coming late," the fire officer said.
Nine people lost their lives in a fire that broke out in a cloth godown in Kirari area in New Delhi on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday while 43 others had died in Anaj Mandi fire tragedy merely a month ago.