Mundka fire: AC explosion may have caused blaze; only 7 bodies identified, doctors to perform DNA tests
At least 27 people have died in a fire on Friday in a building in Delhi’s Mundka area. As the authorities have found some more remains at the site, the death toll is expected to rise.
The police said that at least 29 people are unaccounted for. Meanwhile, a doctor at the national capital’s Sanjay Gandhi Hospital has said that the identity of only seven bodies could be confirmed. He said they will run DNA tests on all the bodies to confirm their identities.
“We received 27 dead bodies. All severely burnt and charred. Of these, 7 bodies have been identified. Relatives are still coming for the identification process. At least 7 other families are looking for their members among the bodies,” DR SK Arora of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital was quoted by the news agency ANI as saying.
He said all the bodies, irrespective of whether they have been identified or not, will be subjected to DNA tests.
“DNA samples will be taken from bodies not being identified or even being identified. One body would be analysed against four relatives. We are waiting for other families to reach here and identify their members,” he added.
The fire department said they have found charred remains but are not sure if they are of another victim. Twelve people have been undergoing treatment at a hospital; all but one have been identified. They said the building didn’t have a fire safety certificate and only one exit-entry point.
“The building had a single escape route which is why there were so many casualties. Twenty-seven people have died,” Chief Fire Officer Atul Garg was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. He said it is suspected that an explosion in an air conditioner may have caused the fire.
Harish Goel and his brother Varun Goel, owners of a CCTV camera and router manufacturing and assembling company, from whose office the fire is suspected to have started, have been arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Sameer Sharma said.