14 Died, Several Injured During Fire Broke Out At Multi-Storey Building; PM Modi Announces Rs. 2 Lakh For Deceased Family

A heart-wrenching incident took place in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad districts as 14 people, including women and children, died after a major fire broke out in a multi-storey building, said an official. Prime Minister Modi has announced an ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh for the next-of-kin of the dead, said the PMO.

Official Statements

According to the official, a total of 14 people were injured in the blaze that erupted at 6 pm on the second floor of Ashirwad Tower in Dhanbad’s Joraphatak area, around 160 km from the state capital Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Taking notes from the incident, Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh said, “The death toll is 14 at present… The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”

Speaking to the media, the district administration has completed the rescue and combing operation of the building, and the injured are undergoing treatment. “The injured people are out of danger,” he said. Around 15 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, the officials added.

The initial reports suggest that a curtain caught fire from the flames of an earthen lamp in one of the flats of the building, said a senior police official, PK Singh.

PM Announces An Ex-gratia Of Rs 2 Lakh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his condolences over the loss of lives in the devastating fire at a Dhanbad apartment and announced an ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh for the next-of-kin of the dead.

PM Modi also announced that an amount of ₹ 50,000 each has also been sanctioned for the injured in the incident. He has also wished the injured a speedy recovery. Taking Twitter, the PMO wrote, “An ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the fire in Dhanbad. The injured would be given ₹ 50,000.”

Also Read: Jharkhand: Two doctors among five killed during fire broke out at private nursing home in Dhanbad

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Expresses Condolences

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed his condolences over the death of 14 persons in the major fire in Dhanbad’s Ashirwad Tower Apartment. He said the district administration was working on a war footing and treatment is being provided to the injured.

“The death of people due to fire in Dhanbad’s Ashirwad Tower Apartment is extremely heart-wrenching. The district administration is working on a war footing and providing treatment to those injured in the accident. I am looking into the whole matter myself,” tweeted CM Soren. Moreover, the chief minister said that everything possible is being done to provide quick medical treatment to the injured.

In a tweet, CM said, “May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved families to bear the difficult times of grief. Everything possible is being done to provide quick medical treatment to the injured.”