At least 15 people were injured in a fire that broke out at a bakery in Chandni Mahal area of North Delhi on Monday afternoon. A case of negligence has been registered against the owner of the shop and investigations are on, said the police.
The incident left the factory completely gutted.
According to eyewitnesses, the bakery was on the ground floor of a two-storey building. The owner lived on the first floor with his family. The incident took place around 1-30 p.m. when those in and around the building heard a loud thud. As they rushed towards the bakery, they found it engulfed in flames with several persons trapped inside.
The fire soon spread to all parts of the bakery and the police and fire department were informed subsequently. A fire department official said 15 people suffered burns of various natures with some even sustaining 40 per cent burns.
The fire department said they suspect that there was leakage of gas from one of the pipes said and it spread out due to combustible material present in the small room.
“We are investigating if there was a blast in the compressor which caused the noise. The cylinders were found bloated but it does not occur that they were blasted. The exact cause of the fire and the events can only be ascertained once investigations are over,” said a senior police officer.
The factory owner has been booked under Section 336 of the Indian Penal Code according to which an act of negligence which endangers human life or the personal safety others is punishable.
