Burn India

Yesterday around 5.30 pm, a fire broke out at one of the pandals of the “Brand India” fair in Meerut, UP; where multinational companies had displayed their products. The blaze soon engulfed virtually the entire area, turning Victoria Park, the venue of the fair, into an inferno. The place was humming with hundreds of visitors, who were enjoying an evening with their families and friends. 50 people have been confirmed dead with hundreds being reported to be injured.

The injured have been admitted to different hospitals in Meerut and in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS. Some of the cremations took place at the Surajkund grounds in the city. But many bodies are still lying unclaimed at the mortuary.

As usual the political charade took place, with the visit of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. The government had announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each of the dead, Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured and Rs 25,000 for the others who were injured in the mishap. The injured are also receiving free treatment. Once again, a very cheap price being offered for human lives.

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire. The inquiry will be headed by Chief Development Officer Pushyapati Saxena and the report would be submitted within two days.

An FIR has been registered against the organisers, Mrinal Events and Expositions, for causing death due to negligence and damage to property. And not very surprisingly, the company’s owner Lakhan Tomar has since gone missing.

The fire is believed to have been sparked off by a short circuit at one of the stalls, and was fuelled by the plastic matting on the floor. The inflammable covering in the air-conditioned hall also helped the flames spread to the other two halls. The tent in which the fair was being held had a common entry and exit point, making it difficult to escape when the fire spread. The situation worsened when the gas cylinders inside the pandals burst.

Numerous physical evidence along with the official paper work indicate that no fire safety measures were taken, no private security personnel had been hired to keep a watch at the venue and no proper arrangement for electrical equipments had been made. Basically every rule in the book had been broken by the event management company but still the officer in charge had granted permission under Section 144.

Yet another incident of scrupulous killings committed by greedy government officials and business companies; who are always looking for maximum personal gain while paying no heed to humanity.