Mumbai
Cause not yet known; Five, including land owner, absconding
Updated : Dec 28, 2014, 07:49 AM IST
Eight men were charred to death and three received 30 per cent burns when a fire broke out in a godown of wooden logs at Madvi compound, Bhiwandi, on Saturday around 2:30 am. There were 11 people sleeping inside the godown. The cause of the fire is not known yet.
Bahadur Nibhar Chavan (19), Gire Chavan (30) and Vinod Shamdev (21) were the three to suffer burns. Speaking to dna from the hospital, Chavan said: "Eleven of us who work there as labourers went to sleep on Friday evening around 11pm after dinner. Around 2.30am, we started feeling excessive heat. When we woke up, we saw fire all around us. We were sleeping in the loft and jumped down and ran towards the exit gate".
The remaining eight could not do so as the burning planks fell on them.
When was the fire brought under control?
After escaping from the godown, Chavan alerted local shop owners, who contacted the police and the fire brigade. Around 8-10 fire tenders were pressed into service and the fire was brought under control by 7.30 am. As there was a well nearby, not many tankers were needed. Fire officials attached a pump to the well and doused the fire.
Has anyone been arrested?
The police have lodged a case under Section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC against the landlord Rajan Madvi and shop owners Munawarali Khan, Jangbahadur Ali Khan, Ishtiyaq Ansari and Shaukatali Khan. All five are absconding.
What's the fire dept saying?
According to a fire official, "The fire was big enough and it is shocking that eight people were burnt alive. Even after dousing the fire, we poured more water in the nearby area as it was a godown of wooden logs."
Are there eyewitnesses?
Manohar Konka, a resident of Bhiwandi, says, "I heard people screaming about fire and fire tankers heading towards the Madvi compound. I rushed there and saw that workers were burnt 100%. Even there bones were charred. Later, when I went there, I saw an empty ground. "
Where were the labourers from?
Out of the 11, some are from Nepal. Those who lost their lives are Manwa Tilakram (30), Gauri Pateshri Chavan (28), Niraj (23), Ajay Yadav (38), Murai (30), Munnilal Shamlal Yadav (27), Raju Pateshri Chavan (25) and Kaniya Gomti Ramdas (20). They have been working at the godown for the past few months.