New Delhi: A devastating fire at an e-rickshaw charging and parking station in the Ram Nagar area of Delhi’s Shahdara claimed the lives of two teenagers and left four others with serious burn injuries on Sunday morning, according to officials.
The victims, Brijesh, 19, and Maniram, 18, both hailing from Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh, tragically lost their lives while they were asleep when the fire erupted. Their charred remains were recovered from the debris after firefighters successfully brought the blaze under control, as confirmed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam.
The fire ignited around 6:40 AM in a tin shed that served as both a storage facility for sugarcane juice machines and a parking and charging station for e-rickshaws. The structure, measuring approximately 300 to 400 square yards, is situated near Ram Mandir on Moti Ram Road in the Ram Nagar area.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received an emergency call at 6:40 AM and promptly dispatched five fire tenders to the scene. “The fire was significant and had engulfed most of the shed by the time our teams arrived. We managed to control the flames by 8:30 AM. During the operation, we recovered two charred bodies from the site,” stated DFS Chief Atul Garg.
The four individuals who sustained burns were swiftly transported to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital for medical treatment.
The victims have been identified as Harishankar, 19, a resident of Bhawai in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh; Rinku, 18; Mukesh, 22; and Vipin, 19, all hailing from Maharajganj in the Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh.
Harishankar suffered severe injuries, with 45 percent of his body affected by burns, while Rinku experienced 30 percent burns. Both Mukesh and Vipin sustained approximately 7 percent burns each.
All six individuals operated sugarcane juice stalls from e-rickshaws and resided in a shed, according to police reports.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been ignited by an electrical short circuit during the charging process.
Officials have announced that a comprehensive inspection will be carried out to assess the fire safety compliance of the premises.
The police have detained Vinod Rathore, the individual responsible for the premises, who had rented the storage facility.
“Legal action is underway. Rathore is currently in custody and is being interrogated regarding the safety standards in place and the presence of workers in the shed at the time of the fire,” stated a police officer. Sources indicate that the shed lacked even basic fire safety equipment.
