'Fire dept's timely action could've saved lives'

Jitender is in a shock. Just seconds after he stepped out, a cylinder blast tore through the jhuggi he was in, killing five people. A cousin to the groom, Jitender had arrived in Delhi just a day before the tragic incident.

"If the fire tenders had come quickly, some lives could have been saved. We called the fire control room twice but nobody responded. The police arrived immediately and then they called up the fire officials," said Jitender, who suffered from severe burns on his hands and legs while trying to save his relatives.

"I, Ravikant, and his father were outside the house. With the help of the neighbours, we tried hard to save the people trapped inside the shanty but the water ran out. The jhuggi itself had no connection, so water was being carried to the blaze from a distance," he added.

Chief Fire Officer of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Atul Garg, however, said: "We received a call at 9.56pm, and without any delay, two tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was soon contained but the cooling process took time. The units returned to the base only after 1.30am. We ensured timely action in the incident."

Ravikant's family belongs to Mau in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Both he and his father Surendra are drivers by profession. Surendra also sustained critical burn injuries when he tried to pull out his wife Usha Devi from the burning shanty. The heat, however, was so intense that Surendra had to be pulled away by neighbours.

Ravikant and Surendra were admitted to Safdarjung Hospital with severe burn injuries. Ravikant was to wed Poonam, a resident of Ghazipur, on Wednesday.