Police yet to identify 2 bodies from Tigri building fire; probe on into cause of conflagration

New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) Police on Sunday said they are yet to identify two of the four people who died in a big fire in a four-storey building in south Delhi's Tigri Extension a day ago.

An officer said they are also still looking for clues to ascertain what caused the blaze.

A fire broke out around 6.24 pm on Saturday at a footwear shop on the ground floor of the building in the heavily populated area.

Four people were killed, and two of them were identified as 38-year-old building owner, Satender alias Jimmy, and his 40-year-old sister, Anita. The other two, both male and suspected to be customers present at the shop, are yet to be identified.

Mamta, 40, suffered 25 per cent burn injuries and is under treatment.

According to investigators, family members suggest the blaze may have originated from an old refrigerator kept inside the shop.

"Initial investigation suggested that large quantities of leather and plastic footwear stored in the premises acted as fuel, causing the flames to spread rapidly through the building," said a police officer.

Crime and forensic teams spent several hours inside the sealed structure on Sunday collecting samples of burnt wiring, melted fixtures and footwear remnants. The lane where the building stands has been barricaded on both sides for safety.

"Detailed forensic opinion is awaited. All angles, including electrical fault, are being examined," he said.

Families of the deceased, who are originally from Etah in Uttar Pradesh and had been living in Tigri Extension for nearly three decades, have taken temporary shelter at a neighbour's house as the building has been declared unsafe.

A family member of Satender said Satender's wife, children and brother were outside when the fire broke out.

The officer said the beat staff has been instructed to check missing persons' reports in the neighbourhood to identify the two remaining victims. PTI BM VN VN