New Delhi, Oct 31 An extra shift to earn just a little bit more, a plan to return to the native village and a promise to come home soon — moments before perishing in a fire at a footwear factory in outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri, four workers were looking forward to spending the festivals with their families.
The Friday night fire has ushered in despair, with the aggrieved families left to spend the festive season in mourning, amid lingering uncertainty over how to manage expenses without the sole or primary earning members.
Prem Chand, who had worked at the factory for around 10 years, had told his family that he would take up an extra shift as Dhanteras, Diwali and Chhath are at hand. His son Ramesh Jha said his father was worried about arranging money for the festivals and had called home around 8.30 pm on Friday to say he would work longer.
“He was quite tense about the festivals. He said he would do an extra shift as the festivals are approaching,” Jha said.
Prem Chand worked in the dyeing section and earned around Rs 14,000 a month. His wife is undergoing treatment for cancer at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, and the family was dependent on his income. Jha said he had left his job to look after his mother while his father continued working.
A friend of his father informed him of the fire. When he reached the hospital, he was told that his father had been brought dead. “I do not know what will happen now. My mother is ill, and the medicines are expensive,” he said.
For Harihar, too, the night shift was a means to earn some extra money ahead of the festivals. His relative Dileep Chaurasia said he had been working in Delhi for more than two decades and had been employed at the factory for around three years.
“My sister called me around 9.30 pm after she got to know about the incident. We have heard nothing from the owner. He has switched off his phone,” Chaurasia said.
Harihar is survived by his wife Gayatri, two sons and a daughter. Chaurasia said the family is particularly worried about how it would manage after his death. “We demand some assistance from the government for his children.”
Mukhdev, another relative, said the family rushed to the hospital after being told that some workers had died and others were injured. “We tried calling him (Harihar), but his phone was switched off, which made us anxious. We came rushing, but nobody let us meet him,” he said.
Ashok, 25, who hailed from Bihar’s Nalanda district, had also spoken to his family shortly before the fire. His relative Umesh Prasad said Ashok had called home around 9.10 pm. A few minutes later, he informed his family that a fire had broken out at the factory and asked them to disconnect the call.
“He said there was a fire in the factory. His family called me as they live in Bihar, and I rushed to the factory to find out what had happened,” Prasad said.
Ashok had been working from a young age but did not stay in Delhi throughout the year. Prasad said he would come to the city for around four months to earn money and then return to his village, where he worked as a driver. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and parents.
Lal Babu, who had worked at the factory for around 15 years, lived alone in a jhuggi in Sultanpuri and sent most of his earnings to his family who live in another state, his sister Hevanti said. He regularly spoke to his family and was concerned about their well-being.
“We had met him only a few days ago. He was laughing and talking. Someone told us that there had been a fire at the factory. When we reached the hospital, we learnt that he had died. Now we have come to the mortuary to take his body,” she said, breaking down.
The fire broke out at the Mangolpuri shoe factory around 9.30 pm on Friday, trapping workers on the upper floors as smoke spread through the building. Six workers were rescued unconscious from the third and fourth floors. Four of them died, while two are undergoing treatment.
For some workers, a break before the night shift proved a life-saver. Aman, who has been working at the factory for three years, said he had gone home to eat with his family during the break before the next shift.
“I had gone home during the first break and informed my family that I was coming to eat. I had taken the night shift to earn extra money for the festivals. If I had not gone home, perhaps I would not have been with my family today,” he said.
Another worker, Ramakant, too, said several employees had stepped out during the break before the night shift. When they returned after receiving a call about the fire, the factory was engulfed in flames.
He said around six workers were inside when the fire broke out, while 15 to 20 employees were expected to report for the night shift. “If some workers had not gone out during the break, the number of people who lost their lives could have been more,” he said.
Relatives of the deceased also questioned the factory’s safety arrangements and alleged that workers on the upper floors had no emergency exit to escape as the smoke spread. The allegations have added to the anguish of families who say they are now left without the people they depended on to keep their households running.
(PTI News)
