Lucknow, April 16 (HS): Two children were killed in a
major fire that torched a slum cluster in the Vikas Nagar area of district here
on Thursday, police said, as rescue workers and villagers combed through the
scene, which had been turned to ashes by the flames the night before. The
deaths of two toddlers, both approximately two years old, were found late
Wednesday, hours after the horrific fire broke out, according to Deputy Commissioner
of Police (East) Deeksha Sharma.
The bodies have been submitted for a post-mortem. Their parents have been
notified, and the identification procedure is already ongoing, she said. The
fire broke out Wednesday evening in a slum cluster along the Ring Road in Vikas
Nagar, quickly engulfing roughly 200 shanties and reducing people' valuables to
ashes. Hundreds of individuals, largely domestic workers and daily wage
earners, were made homeless.
After getting information about
the incident, fire trucks were quickly dispatched to the scene, and rescue and
relief efforts were launched without delay, according to Sharma. Teams from the
police, fire department, SDRF, and NDRF have been sent to the location since
Wednesday evening, she added, adding that the rescue effort continued late into
the night. According to officials, the fire destroyed over 200 shanties,
displacing hundreds of inhabitants, the majority of whom are domestic workers
and daily wage earners. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Samajwadi Party head
Akhilesh Yadav voiced their worry at the event, calling for urgent assistance
and a thorough inquiry. Authorities stated the cause of the fire has yet to be
determined.
Hundreds of inhabitants returned
to the charred ruins of their homes in the Vikas Nagar slum cluster on Thursday
morning, sifting through the ashes in a desperate quest for valuables, only to
discover that practically everything had been gone. Men, women, and children
were spotted rummaging through layers of smoke and rubble, trying to find their
belongings, but the majority returned empty-handed when the magnitude of damage
became clear in daylight.
Kuch na bacha, sab bar gawa
(Nothing is left, everything is gone in fire), the woman cried in Awadhi,
breaking down as she dug through the ruins of her destroyed cottage. The scene
was littered with burned steel closets, twisted trunks, wrecked bicycles,
charred kitchenware, gas burners, and strewn garments, as well as half-burnt
vegetables within kitchen racks.
Coolers, pedestal fans, and
even refrigerators were discovered gutted. A strong odor of smoke persisted,
and some debris continued to produce fumes. When a refrigerator was opened,
there were still indications of fire within. Many people suffered not just
pecuniary losses, but also severely personal ones. Deepa, a domestic worker,
explained that she had meticulously collected money over the years to create
her home. I had gathered everything piece by piece. Nothing remains, she said. Another
woman stated she had some money and jewelry. My husband died, and I raised five
children on my own, working as a domestic helper, scrubbing floors, washing
kitchenware, and cleaning other people's houses. But all of my money are now
gone!
A man from Mahmoodabad in
Sitapur who resided in the cluster said that things worth Rs 2-3 lakh that he
had gathered for his family's wedding had been destroyed. I even took out
a loan of Rs 50,000. Everything has been burnt, he stated. Another
lady reported that jewels and garments stored in her cabinet had been entirely
destroyed, while a 55-year-old woman stated that Rs 4,000 in cash, her family's
savings, had been lost in the fire.
Suresh, a daily wage laborer,
claimed some of his goats were missing and thought they had died in the fire. Deepak
(25), who makes a profession playing drums at gatherings, claimed he was at
work when the fire broke out on Wednesday evening.
When I returned, all I could do
was watch everything burn. My motorcycle, bicycle, and all of the rations I had
lately stockpiled are gone. I am left with only the clothing I am wearing, he
added. Devastation followed a major fire that broke out in a slum cluster on
Wednesday evening, destroying over 200 shanties and causing panic among
inhabitants. The fire, which began on an empty plot near Ring Road, spread
quickly due to strong winds and the presence of highly combustible items in the
huts. Firefighting activities were impeded by explosions of tiny LPG cylinders
stored inside homes, according to authorities.
On Thursday, inhabitants of Vikas Nagar's slum cluster focused on
survival and coping with the abrupt loss of homes, money, and livelihoods.
Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi
