From Mangolpuri shoe factory to Uphaar cinema: The major fires that keep bringing Delhi under scrutiny

The fire at a shoe factory in northwest Delhi's Mangolpuri Industrial Area, which claimed four lives and left two others injured on Friday night, has once again brought the Capital's fire safety preparedness under scrutiny.

From workers trapped inside unauthorised factories to hotel guests unable to find emergency exits and newborns caught in a hospital blaze, several of the national capital's worst fire tragedies have raised questions about whether authorities have learnt from past disasters.

(Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times/ Representative)The Mangolpuri fire broke out around 9.30pm in the basement of a three-storey shoe factory in Phase-I of the industrial area. More than 20 fire tenders were pressed into service, and firefighters battled the blaze for over three hours.

Six people were rescued unconscious and rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where four were declared dead. Two others were undergoing treatment. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Over the years, Delhi has witnessed several devastating fires in factories, hotels, hospitals, commercial buildings and public spaces, many of which have exposed serious violations of safety norms, illegal construction and regulatory failures.

From workers trapped inside unauthorised factories to hotel guests unable to find emergency exits and newborns caught in a hospital blaze, several of the national capital's worst fire tragedies have raised questions about whether authorities have learnt from past disasters.

The Mangolpuri incident comes just months after one of Delhi's deadliest recent fire tragedies in south Delhi's Hauz Rani. On June 3, a massive fire broke out at Flourish Stay, a bed-and-breakfast establishment in Hauz Rani, killing 23 people, including 14 foreign nationals.

The establishment, which had permission to operate as a six-room B&B, was allegedly running 31 rooms across multiple floors, including a basement and the rooftop. It also lacked a proper fire exit. A magisterial inquiry later indicted multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the tourism department, and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, for lapses in licensing, inspections, and monitoring.

The report found that the illegally expanded establishment continued to operate despite repeated warnings. Delhi Police subsequently filed a 1,500-page chargesheet against the owner and staff members. In Vivek Vihar, where nine people died in a fire, the magisterial inquiry found that flats had been sold without occupancy certificates and major structural alterations had been made in violation of sanctioned plans.

Restricted escape routes, a locked terrace, inadequate ventilation and congested approach lanes aggravated the tragedy. The first fire tender's water supply also ran dry within minutes. The March 18 Palam fire, which killed nine people, exposed shortcomings in emergency response.

The inquiry found that illegal overhead cables obstructed a Delhi Fire Services aerial platform and that there was no effective backup arrangement when the equipment failed. The probe also flagged inadequate training of personnel operating sophisticated equipment and manpower shortages in the fire service.

One of the most disturbing fire incidents in recent years took place at a baby care centre in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar on May 25, 2024. Seven newborns died after a fire engulfed the three-storey hospital building. Twelve infants were rescued, with several sustaining injuries.

The incident raised serious questions about fire safety arrangements in healthcare facilities and the storage and handling of oxygen cylinders. A massive fire in a three-storey commercial building near Mundka Metro station on May 13, 2022, killed 27 people and injured several others.

The fire broke out around 4.40pm when more than 70 people were reportedly inside the building. The blaze spread rapidly, trapping occupants inside. The building housed commercial establishments, including an office and manufacturing units.

Subsequent investigations highlighted violations of building and fire safety norms, bringing the issue of unauthorised commercial activities in congested areas back into focus. One of the worst industrial fire tragedies in the Capital occurred in north Delhi's Anaj Mandi on December 8, 2019, when 43 workers died in a fire at an illegal manufacturing unit on Rani Jhansi Road.

Around 70 workers were employed in the five-storey building, which housed several unlicensed units manufacturing bags, plastic toys and jackets. Many workers were sleeping inside the premises when the fire broke out early in the morning.

The building had very few windows and a narrow entrance, while the factory did not have a fire department no-objection certificate. The congested neighbourhood and narrow lanes also made firefighting and rescue operations difficult.