Express News Service
RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday, while hearing public interest litigation initiated suo-moto over the massive fire incident which engulfed a multi-storied residential building at Dhanbad, ordered the state government to conduct fire safety audit in high rise buildings across the state. The court of acting Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Deepak Roshan also asked the state to file an affidavit about the action taken report in this regard.
Nearly two dozen people received serious burn injuries and have been admitted to Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) in Dhanbad.
“The court has asked the state government to submit a fire safety audit within four months,” said Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan. The court also asked the state government to tell what action is being taken to check such incidents in future, he added.
Ranjan further added that the court was told that two committees have been constituted; one will investigate the reasons behind the fire, while the second will assess the structural damage caused to the building after the incident fire.
According to officials, the fire broke out at around 6 pm at the Ashirwad Tower apartment under the Bank More police station jurisdiction, which was brought under control after a four-hour operation. As many as 40 fire tenders were roped in to dodge the fire, they said.
An official communiqué from the district administration stated that the fire started on the third floor. Fourteen people died in the incident, while the injured people have been rescued and hospitalizsd, it said.
“A total of 14 deaths have been confirmed so far, including 10 women, three children and a male. Those who got injured are out of danger, said,” Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Singh. He, however, refused to comment on the reason behind the fire as the investigation was still on.
The Deputy Commissioner has issued investigation into the matter by forming a committee. But, locals revealed that the fire apparently was caused due to an earthen lamp (diya) while performing any ritual on the third floor, which engulfed the flat located just above it on the fourth floor, killing 14 persons of the same family as people had assembled there to attend a marriage ceremony. Some were charred to death, while many died of suffocation, they claimed.
Notably, barring minor burn injuries, none of the people died in the flat on the third floor where the fire was instigated.
