Fire in cracker shop in Delhi, five killed

NEW DELHI: Five persons were charred to death when a fire broke out in a cracker shop in a congested residential locality in south-west Delhi tonight on the eve of Diwali.

The blaze erupted in the cracker shop on the ground floor of the three-storey building in Rangpuri area of Mahipalpur at around 7:30 pm and soon spread to adjoining shops, fire department officials said here.

The bodies of two men, charred beyond recognition, were pulled out from the cracker shop by fire fighters who along with locals battled for nearly two hours to put down the blaze.

Three others, believed to be customers, were found dead in the adjoining grocery shops, they said.

Police sources said firecrackers were stored at the make-shift shop without mandatory license.

Tempers ran high in the locality and security personnel had a tough time controlling the agitated locals.