Uttarakhand: Failed to extinguish the fire in Dehradun, the arrangements of the fire brigade were not enough, 4 girls lost their lives, CM announced help, Deputy Tehsildar suspended

A fierce fire broke out in a three-storey building made of wood and stone near the frontier Tuni Gate market, 180 km from the district headquarters Dehradun. Four girls playing inside the room died tragically due to the fierce fire that broke out in the house on Thursday. Bodies of two have been recovered and search is on for two bodies. The cause of the fire is said to be gas leakage in the dhaba opened in the next part of the house. In this painful accident, a daughter and three other girls of the Jakta resident couple are being told of their relatives.

Assistance amount of two lakh each to the relatives of the deceased

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. On the other hand, the Naib Tehsildar has been suspended by the District Magistrate for negligence in relief and rescue operations and the officers of the Fire Department have been put on the line. District Magistrate Sonika met the relatives of the deceased and consoled them. Rescue is going on by SDRF and other teams to find the bodies of the deceased girls under the supervision of the District Magistrate.

आज चकराता स्थित त्यूणी पुल के पास 4 मंजिला मकान में आग लगने से कुछ लोगों के वहां फसे होने का समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। मैं वहाँ रह रहे परिवारों की कुशलता की कामना करता हूँ। पुलिस- प्रशासन की टीम मौक़े पर मौजूद है। अधिकारियों को तत्परता से काम करने के निर्देश दिए गए हैं।

— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) April 6, 2023

DGP gave instructions to investigate the matter

Director General of Police, Uttarakhand Ashok Kumar has handed over the investigation of the incident to Deputy Inspector General of Police, Fire, Nivedita Kukreti. On the basis of the priority of the investigation of the incident, orders have been given to edit and submit the report within 03 days. If any officer or employee is found lacking in the investigation report, strict action will be taken against the concerned.

Pritam sitting on dharna along with hundreds of people on Tiuni-Chakrata Highway

Angered by the government machinery and the inadequate arrangements for disaster management at the tehsil level, former Leader of Opposition and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh along with hundreds of people from the area sat on a dharna on the road at Tiraya in Gate Bazar Tuni on the Tyuni-Chakrata Highway. Angry villagers protested and shouted slogans accusing the police-administration of being negligent and apathetic at the time of the disaster.

The bodies of two were recovered by the SDRF team

The bodies of two of the four girls trapped inside the room were recovered by the SDRF team after a massive fire broke out in a three-storey house made of wood and stone. While the search operation is going on to find the bodies of two other girls.

Several officers including District Magistrate Sonika, DIG and Senior Superintendent of Police Dilip Kunwar, SP Dehat Kamlesh Upadhyay reached Tuni and inspected the spot.

Former Leader of Opposition and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh reached his home constituency Tuni from Chopper on Friday morning. MLA Pritam Singh met the inconsolable family members present near the spot and expressed deep sorrow over this heart-wrenching incident.

SP Dehat Kamlesh Upadhyay said that in the search operation, the SDRF team has recovered the bodies of two girls in burnt condition and kept them in the mortuary of the government hospital. The SDRF team under the leadership of the district administration is trying to find the bodies of two other girls.

District Magistrate Sonika said that instructions have been given for a magisterial inquiry into the exact cause of the house fire. The real situation of the incident will be known only after the investigation. Clothes and other items have been made available to the victim’s family immediately by the administration.

The damage caused by the fire incident is being assessed. During this, officers of many tehsils including SDM Chakrata, SDM Rishikesh, SDM Dehradun Sadar, CO Vikasnagar, CO Rishikesh were present in Tuni.

On the other hand, due to non-availability of adequate arrangements to extinguish the fire in time, the angry residents created ruckus on the highway near the incident site on Thursday and protested against the fire brigade and the police-administration.

According to the information, Suratram Joshi, a resident of Mundhol, a resident of Seemant Tehsil, has a three-storey house made of wood and stone in hill style near Gate Bazar Tuni. In one part of which he himself lives and in the other part the tenants live.

Kusum, wife of Vicky Chauhan, a resident of Dhaba operator Patala, was making tea on the gas stove in the dhaba opened outside the room at around 4 pm on Thursday. During this, a fire broke out due to leakage in the gas. In no time, the fire spread to the room of the house. Four girls playing inside the room were burnt alive due to the spread of the fire.

Gunjan, 12-year-old daughter of tenant Trilok Singh Chauhan, resident of Jakta, and two daughters of her sister-in-law, Adira alias Mishti, age 6, Sejal alias Dibo, resident of Patala, age 3, and another sister-in-law, 10, resident of Viktad, were gutted by the massive fire in the house. Four girls including daughter Ridhi were burnt alive. This has been confirmed by the inconsolable relatives and their relatives.

The whole area was shaken by this painful accident. It is being told that Kusum, a resident of Patala, had rented a dhaba in the next room of the house a few days back. She had come with her three children to run the dhaba. His three children were playing inside in sister Poonam’s room.

As the spark of fire spread from the dhaba reached the room, his son Naksh came out. Kusum went inside the room to save the daughters, but got badly burnt due to the raging fire.

Four people including Kusum, Swati, Bhagat Singh Chauhan and Arif were injured due to the fire. In-charge Medical Officer Dr. Narendra Rana said that Kusum, who was seriously injured, was referred to the nearest higher center Rahedu Himachal by ambulance 108 after first aid. While three other people who were injured in general were discharged from the hospital after first aid.

From the information, under the direction of Director General of Police Ashok Kumar and District Magistrate Sonika, SP Dehat Kamlesh Upadhyay and SDM Chakrata Yukta Mishra left for the spot. To extinguish the fire in the house, three fire tenders from Tuni, Mori and Rahedu had reached.