国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Fire claiming 43 deaths rings alarm bell for Delhis illegal industrial unit_时事

国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Fire claiming 43 deaths rings alarm bell for Delhis illegal industrial unit

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)-North had recently issued a "notice" to the building owner to shut down the commercial activities inside the building, but it was never complied with and the local government agencies failed to take a strict action thereafter, reported the English daily Hindustan Times.

Also, the building lacked proper fire-fighting measures as its owner never applied for a valid license from the fire department fearing it would attract uncomfortable posers from the firemen. All the windows in the building had iron grills, and the inmates who were sleeping when the fire broke out, had no chance to run for safety. Firemen had to cut the iron-grills in a bid to rescue the laborers who were caught unawares.

The area housing the building was too congested to allow the fire-tenders gain access to douse the fire. The lane leading to the building was too narrow for majority of fire-tenders. Only one fire-fighting vehicle could enter it and had to reverse to come out before allowing the rest.

To assuage the pains of the fire victims, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a compensation of one million Indian rupees for the next of the kin who died and 100,000 Indian rupees for those injured. He also offered free medical treatment for the injured admitted in various hospitals.

Delhi has a long and scary history of fire mishaps. Only in February this year, a major fire in a hotel in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area had claimed as many as 17 lives. The ill-fated hotel too had a single entry-and-exit route and operated without requisite clearances from the fire department.