Two persons, including a minor, were killed after a fire broke out at a building in West Delhi’s Raghubir Nagar in the early hours of Monday, police said. Police said that the victims were identified as Md Sufed (17) and Md Sahmad (38), who hailed from Bhagalpur in Bihar. Sufed lived with his father, Md Naseeb, and maternal uncle Sahmad — all e-rickshaw drivers. The victims were charging the portable batteries of their vehicles on the premises of the building when the incident happened, officers said. The building in Raghubir Nagar where two people were killed in a fire; police are probing whether e-rickshaw battery charging was linked to the blaze. (Express Image) Sahmad’s brother Md Rehman said he came to know about the incident around 6 on Monday. “It appears that the batteries were being charged here. We do not have any other details yet. People told us that a large number of batteries were being charged here and that there was a blast, after which they died. This is negligence,” he said. Police are yet to find out if a charging station was being operated at the building. “Our father also sleeps in this building. However, he had slept at another house in the area yesterday. It is a miracle. he too, like my brother and my nephew, could have been a victim,” Rehman said. Police said that officers reached the spot after receiving a PCR call regarding the incident. They found that the victims had sustained injuries. They were rushed to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. A team from the Delhi Fire Services also reached the spot, after which the blaze was brought under control. The premises were subsequently inspected. Police said that the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, adding that further inquiry is underway.
