Bawana fire: Workers made Rs 200 per day in building that claimed 17 lives in Delhi

It is believed that those who worked in the firecracker factory that killed at least 17 people in Delhi’s Bawana industrial area earned approximately Rs 6,000 per month each i.e. Rs 200 per day, an Indian Express report has revealed.

Earlier, families of the deceased said that the fire, which started at the storage unit on the ground floor of a two-storey building, ripped through the structure.

Ten women and seven men were killed, and a man and woman were injured who have been admitted to a hospital.

Reports also say that the building did not have a No Objection Certificate from the fire department. The building had one exit, and two fire extinguishers in the entire building that the fire department said was ‘grossly inadequate’. In addition, the building had a basement that had at least 30 workers.

Earlier, the police said that they had a case in the grade four fire that engulfed other factories in the neighbourhood. But those killed worked at the factory that's been found to be illegal, according to the area DM. It did not even have a cracker licence.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known but sources suspect that a short-circuit could have been a trigger.

"Four bodies were pulled out initially... they seemed to have died of suffocation. Twelve were recovered later... they died while trying to jump out of windows," said Rajneesh Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini District).

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain ordered an inquiry in the fire tragedy. "Learnt about a serious fire incident in a private factory at Bawana. Several casualties. Monitoring the situation. Have ordered an enquiry," he tweeted.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda also directed his Health Secretary to provide immediate assistance to victims and also asked AIIMS' trauma centre to be on alert.

In the aftermath of Bawana factory fire, BJP leader & North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Preeti Aggarwal was caught on cam telling her associate, 'iss factory ki licensing hamare paas hai isliye hum kuch nahi bol sakte.' Read that report here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the death of people in the fire.