Seven newborns died and 12 were rescued following a fire that took place at the Baby Care New Born Hospital, a children’s hospital in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar on May 26. Just a day before, a massive fire broke out at the TRP Game Zone in Rajkot, Gujarat, claiming the lives of 33 people, including nine children below the age of 16.
We looked into The Hindu’s archives and found that fire accidents across the country have caused extensive loss of life and property over the years. While there are existing laws and rules regarding fire safety, the problem lies in enforcement.
Also read | Preparing for fires
Here’s a timeline of some major fire accidents over the past seven decades:
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, April 4, 1964: 36 persons, including 35 girls were killed and 139 injured seriously at the Saraswathi Vidyasala Higher Elementary School, Maninagaram, Madurai. The superstructure of the two-storeyed building, which was constructed out of brick and mortar on the granite compound wall of a tomb, collapsed. Though town planning authorities had refused permission to build the school, the construction went ahead without following even basic principles of engineering and safety measures.
Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, July 29, 1979: 46 adults and 32 children were killed in a fire accident in a touring cinema at Lourdammalpuram, Tuticorin, of whom 73 died on the spot and five succumbed to injuries in hospital; 88 people were injured. The fire broke out around 4.30 p.m. when the matinee show was on. The thatch-roofed cinema with wooden poles and rafters was reduced to ashes. The fire broke out in the women’s enclosure, and most of the victims were women and children from a fishing community. Despite a Tamil Nadu government notification in December 1976 calling for the installation of fire extinguishers in all cinema halls, it was resisted by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce and the Tamil Nadu Exhibitors’ Association on the grounds of the high cost. The government relented and reduced in February 1978 the extra number of extinguishers it wanted to be installed.
The remains of the touring cinema near Tuticorin which was gutted in a fire. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Bangalore, Karnataka, February 7, 1981: 92 people were killed in a fire, 56 of them children, and 300 injured when a fire broke out in the Venus Circus near the city railway station in Bangalore. A special show for schoolchildren was taking place, and the flying trapeze artists were performing when the burning roof of the Venus Circus collapsed, setting off a stamped; over 4,000 people were in the tent at the time. There are differing versions as to how the fire was started, one theory was that it was caused by sparks from high tension wires at the site that fell on the tarpaulin-roofed tent. Another theory was that it was started by a carelessly thrown cigarette butt; the police and circus management both believed that it may have started from a cooking stove that was used to cook the dogs’ food and because of the wind, the fire from the stove could have ignited the tent. 22 fire units battled with the raging flames for nearly two hours before it was brought under control. The Gundu Rao government ordered a judicial enquiry into the incident.
The police, fire force personnel and parents searching for victims through what remained of a circus, which was gutted in Bangalore. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Dabwali, Haryana, December 23, 1995: Over 500 people were killed, mostly children and their parents and over 300 were injured at Rajiv Marriage Palace, a private marriage hall in Dabwali in Sirsa district, Haryana. It was being used for the Annual Day Function of the DAV School. The fire was caused by an electric malfunction and spread as the pandal was covered with a synthetic sheet. A stampede took place too, as there was a small exit gate, causing the high casualties. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal subsequently issued instructions that it be made mandatory for buildings holding such functions to have at least four gates, one on each side, so that people could escape in case of an emergency.
Then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, in Dabwali, Haryana on December 29, 1995, to see for himself the havoc wrought by the fire. | Photo Credit: Shanker Chakravarty
Baripada, Orissa, February 23, 1997: 176 persons, including 26 children and 4 women, were burnt to death; of these, 149 died on the spot and 27 succumbed to injuries later; 500 were seriously injured in a fire accident at Madhuban locality of Baripada, 275 km from Bhubaneswar. A large number of devotees of Swami Nigamananda had gathered for a three-day State-level religious conference. As many as 5,400 delegates, many of them from neighbouring States and Delhi, had registered along with families. The fire started from one of the temporary sheds constructed for the devotees when most of them were resting after lunch. Most of the victims got caught in the fire at the only exit point. The Orissa government ordered a high-level administrative inquiry into the accident.
The site of the religious congregation where a major fire killed over 170 people at Baripada in Orissa. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, June 7, 1997: 40 people were killed, 31 of them women and five children and 85 injured at the Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur. A fire broke out in the yagasala (sacrificial hall) of the Brihadeeswara temple. Most of the victims died after inhaling carbon monoxide, while a few were killed in a stampede. A few died of burns. Inflammable materials like ghee, condiments and thatched roofs helped the fire spread fast. Only one fire tender near the pandal could be pressed into service. The only entrance was on the eastern side, but because of the narrow gate and the stones at the gateway, many fell and died.
Former CM M. Karunanidhi, having a look at the gutted “yagasala” of the Thanjavur Big Temple. (Right): The TMC President, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, consoling a victim at the Thanjavur Medical College hospital | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Delhi, June 13, 1997:60 people died and many injured at the Uphaar Grand cinema in South Delhi. The cinema hall, with a capacity of 1,053 people, was packed when the fire broke out around 5 p.m. The fire started in the ground floor parking lot and quickly spread to the upper floors. Those on the balcony and the upper lounge were trapped, and many people died of asphyxiation. The entire building was gutted. The fire was caused by a short circuit in a transformer in the parking area and spread to the upper floors through air conditioning ducts. Although the licence for cinema halls is issued by the Delhi Police, it is the responsibility of the Delhi Fire Service to certify, after periodic inspections, that the premises are safe from fire hazards and that mandatory safety measures and fire alarm systems are in place. In the Uphaar incident, the fire was caused by the spilling of highly inflammable oil from a Delhi Vidyut Board transformer. Incidentally, there were complaints of the faulty functioning of the transformer earlier that day and the DVB had attended to the fault.
A view of the Uphaar Cinema on the 21th anniversary of the fire tragedy, in New Delhi in 2018. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
Erwadi, Tamil Nadu, August 6, 2001: 25 mentally-challenged persons were charred to death and three died subsequently at the Moideen Badusha Mental Home, a pilgrim centre 27 km from Ramanathapuram. 571 people were rescued. The fire began when a kerosene chimney lamp fell in the shed of the mental home which had a thatched roof. The entire shed was gutted in 10 minutes, before fire tenders reached the spot. Charred bodies fettered in chains were all that remained. “Divine chains” were put around the feet of the mentally-challenged, and so they could not escape. There were 43 mentally-challenged people on the premises. The owner of the asylum, Moideen Badusha, his wife Suriya Begum and relatives Rashak and Mumtaj Begum were arrested. The N. Ramdas Commission, which inquired into the deaths, concluded that the inmates died as they had been fettered and tied to poles and immediate fire aid was absent. Subsequent to the fire, the government imposed a ban on keeping patients in fetters.
The remains of the home for mentally ill at Erwadi which was destroyed in a fire. (Right) Two mentally ill persons seen chained together in another asylum at Erwadi. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, May 24, 2002: 42 people were burnt alive, and 10 sustained burn injuries in a fire at a shoe factory in the Jeoni Mandi in Agra. Rescuers, including Army and Air Force personnel, retrieved the charred bodies from the two-storey building that collapsed following the fire. Over 100 workers were at the premises when the fire broke out. A fact-finding team of the National Campaign on Labour indicted the owner of the factory, saying that he had ignored safety norms and violated labour laws.
The factory area was like a “tinder box” with hardly any fire or other safety equipment in place, it said.
Firefighters try to put out a fire at a shoe factory in Agra on May 23, 2002. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, January 23, 2004: 62 people were killed, including the bridegroom, 23 women and four children and 45 injured at the Padmapriya Marriage Hall at Srirangam near Tiruchi when a fire broke out at a marriage hall in Srirangam in Tiruchi district. The fire broke out in the thatched structure on the roof of the marriage hall. There was also a stampede as guests tried to flee through a narrow staircase in a corner of the hall. The fire broke out owing to the intense heat generated by the video flashgun, which set on fire the decorative materials on the thatched roof of the pandal. Temporary power lines were also drawn from downstairs in a shoddy manner. Subsequent to the tragedy, fire safety measures were made compulsory in marriage and community halls, with periodic inspections by fire service personnel and the local administration.
A view of the marriage hall in Srirangam near Tiruchi on January 23, 2004. | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan
Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, July 16, 2004: 94 schoolchildren were burnt to death as fire raged through the nursery section of the Saraswathi English Medium school, a primary school in Kumbakonam. The noon meal was being prepared in the school kitchen that had a thatched roof. The roof caught fire when a spark from the burning firewood fell on it and spread to the thatched roof of the classroom where several children were studying, The Hindu reported. The Justice K. Sampath Commission of inquiry was set up to inquire into the causes of the fire. The commission blamed the management for the high death toll. “The fire could have been very well averted, had the management been less avaricious and had more concern for the welfare of the children studying in the schools.” “It was an accident due to the carelessness of the noon-meal staff and the callous indifference and criminal insensitivity on the part of the management, compounded and abetted by the departments that failed to implement and enforce the laws and safety standards.” A decade after the accident 10 persons were convicted, including the owner of the school, and 11 acquitted.
The kitchen that ignited the fire accident in Kumbakonam on July 18, 2004 | Photo Credit: Vino John
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, April 10, 2006: 65 people, mostly women and children were killed, and over 150 were injured, in a fire that tore through ‘Brand India’, a consumer goods fair at Victoria Park in Meerut. The fire was caused by short circuiting at the fair which was displaying electronic goods and kitchen appliances. The fire also led to some cooking gas cylinders at some makeshift eateries exploding at the site. The Uttar Pradesh government ordered a high level enquiry .
Kolkata, March 24, 2010: 43 people were killed when a fire broke out at Stephen Court apartment in Park Street, Kolkata. A number of bodies could not be identified as it was suspected that many migrant workers from other states were working there. Trapped on the upper floors of the burning building, most of the victims at Stephen Court were consumed by the flames and the bodies charred beyond recognition. Fire tenders took a long time to reach the spot. In the wake of the Stephen Court disaster, a high-power committee comprising senior officials of the city police, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services department and the power distribution company was set up to inspect 48 buildings and market places in the city and make recommendations to curb violations of fire safety norms.
Also read: Rajkot game zone fire updates
Kolkata, December 9, 2010: 93 people were killed in a fire that broke out in the basement of a seven storey building of the AMRI hospitals at Dhakuria in Kolkata. Most of the victims choked to death on the upper floors, even as the toxic smoke engulfed the building. In the tragedy at the AMRI Hospital, the basement, where the blaze is suspected to have originated, was meant to be a parking lot but was being used to store materials, several of them inflammable — a clear violation of building and fire safety norms. The hospital staff failed to inform the fire brigade of the blaze — it occurred in the early hours — for hours, until after the situation had got out of hand.In all, 28 fire-tenders and three sky-lifts were pressed into action and the blaze was put out late in the afternoon. About four-and-a-half years after the disaster, charges were framed in this case on June 30, 2016. Twelve erstwhile directors, many of them belonging to two prominent business families in the city, and four officials of the private hospital were charged under Section 304 of Indian Penal Code ( IPC) dealing with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The West Bengal government announced teh setting up of two high level committees to check safety measures in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, colleges and malls in the city. Following the fire, the National Disaster Management Authority announced that it would prepare guidelines for Hospital Safety and Preparedness to deal with on-site emergencies.
Sivakasi, September 5, 2012: 52 people were killed and over 50 injured in an explosion at the Omshakti Fireworks manufacturing unit in Sivakasi, a day after its licence was cancelled. An inspection on August 28 by the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives, Sivakasi, pointed to many deviations: chemical products were stored in excess of the permissible levels and there were more employees than allowed. Also, the space meant for safety purposes was encroached upon. Citing these violations, the official, on September 4, ordered revocation of the licence. Though it was not clear how the fire had broken out, it quickly spread to other rooms, and rescue operations were hampered as there was no proper road connectivity. Then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa ordered a magisterial inquiry into the blast and the police arrested 12 persons.
Paravur, Kollam, Kerala, April 10, 2016: 111 people died, while injuring nearly 400 others after an entire dump of fire crackers meant to be burst to mark the conclusion of the Meena-Bharani festival exploded at the Paravur Puttingal Devi temple, near Kollam. Over 40 persons died instantly, in what is deemed as the worst-ever pyrotechnics tragedy to strike Kerala. The Hindu reported eyewitnesses’ account, who said that disaster struck when a cracker meant to explode in the air fell to the ground, sending sparks flying in all directions. The sparks reached the storehouse, igniting fireworks stored there. The explosion that followed brought down a building and caused damage to several structures in the vicinity. Despite the Kollam district administration denying them permission, the temple authorities went ahead planning the pyrotechnics display. The state government ordered a judicial enquiry and a Crime Branch investigation into the disaster.
A view of a damaged building after a massive fire broke out during a fireworks display in Paravur in Kerala. | Photo Credit: C. Suresh Kumar
Surat, Gujarat, May 25, 2019: 22 students, among them 18 girls, died in a fire at a coaching centre at the Takshashila Arcade in Surat. Five students died from injuries sustained falling to the ground after they tried to ecape the fire by jumping from the top floor, and others died due to severe burn injuries. The building had been issued a notice for non compliance of saftety norms a few montsh back, but the building had not been sealed. Following the disaster, authorities across Gujarat issued public notices ordering the closure of coaching centres and tuition classes until proper fire safety audits were carried out. Taking suo motu cognisance of news reports, the NHRC also asked the Gujarat government to submit a report on the fire and said that the incident amounted to a “grave violation of the human rights of the young students”.
New Delhi, December 8, 2019: 43 people died, while over 50 were injured after a deadly fire swept through an unregistered bag factory in Delhi’s Anaj Mandi area. Those who lost their live were labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who died due to suffocation or burn injuries., as they had been sleeping at night next to the machines they worked on. . It was found that commercial activities were being illegally conducted in the residential building. There were no fire fighting equipment, alarms, safety measures or safe exits in the building.
The site of a factory at Rani Jhansi Road where a major fire broke out, in New Delhi on December 8, 2019. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Some parts of this article were first published in Frontline Magazine on August 13, 2004
