NEW DELHI: Santosh Kumar (41) whose wife Ranju Devi (34) was among those killed in the deadly fire in Mundka, identified her body through her turtle-shaped ring and two bangles -- the only items that remained unburnt on her charred body.
The massive blaze that ripped through the four-storey building in outer Delhi's Mundka on Friday claimed at least 27 lives, while 19 people are still missing and there is little hope of finding survivors.
"I was at work when I got the news of fire at her workplace. I rushed there and waited for three hours but could not find her. Later, I rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital but I could not get any information about her," he said.
"I went to the hospital on Saturday morning again. The staff took me to the mortuary at 2 pm where I identified her through her ring and bangles -- one red and the other white.I received her body from the hospital at 4.30 pm and did all the rituals yesterday," an emotional Santosh told PTI on Sunday.
A resident of Bhagya Vihar in Mundka, Santosh works as a mason and has three children.
He said his wife had joined the company, where the fire broke out, only seven months ago.
Santosh is not the only person in the locality to have lost a loved one in Friday's fire tragedy.
A sense of gloom, despair and restlessness prevailed in Bhagya Vihar, which is located near Mundka Industrial Area.
The area is inhabited largely by people working in factories and industries in the region and many victims of the fire tragedy resided here.
Vishwajeet Kumar (41), husband of deceased Yashoda Devi (35), said she took up the job at the factory to help him repay the debt after their daughter's wedding.
Vishwajeet works at a coal factory in Rajasthan's Alwar.
He rushed to Delhi soon after he learnt about the tragedy.
"On Saturday, Yashoda's body was identified and handed over to us around 5 pm. My elder daughter got married in 2018 after which we came under debt. My wife started working to help me and the family. I have lost everything now and I don't know what to do," Vishwajeet said.
The family hailed from Nalanda district in Bihar.
Yashoda's funeral was conducted Saturday evening.
Nisha Kumari (19) is still missing since the fire incident and her uncle Pintu Kumar with other family members have been running helter-skelter to find her.
"Nisha had been working at the company for the past two years. We have a video where she was seen wearing a red suit at the second floor of the building when the fire broke out. However, since then, we have no information regarding her whereabouts. Her mother has given her blood sample for the DNA test," Pintu said.
According to Pintu, Nisha was the sole breadwinner of the family of nine, parents and her six siblings.
"Her father has mental issues and he doesn't work," Pintu lamented.
Mamta Devi (45), who survived the massive fire tragedy said she managed to rush out of the premises miraculously.
Mamta was seen in one of the videos of the incident on social media, where she is wearing a red suit and jumping from the second floor of the building.
"Post lunch, we were informed at the company that there would be a lecture and everyone should gather on the second floor. While the lecture was underway, the fire broke out inside the building."
People started breaking the glass windows of the building to jump out of the premises," she recalled.
"When I fell down, I fainted and I do not remember what happened thereafter. My neighbour took me to my home and later my son called an ambulance. I went to the hospital and they discharged me after administering first aid," she told PTI.
Mamta said there were around 100 to 150 people inside the building when the incident took place.
"I am the only working person in my family of five members. My husband is physically handicapped and he can't work," she said.
Mohammad Akbar, husband of Musharrat (37) who is missing since the incident, said he has given his DNA samples to the hospital.
"I work as a painter and Musharrat was working at the company for the last one year. She is missing and we are keen to see her alive," Akbar said.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has approved a magisterial inquiry into the Mundka building fire, which claimed the lives of 27 people, and it will be completed within six weeks, officials said on Sunday.
The Delhi government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the fire.