An old man was charred to death while two people suffered minor injuries in two separate incidents of fire on Sunday, police said today.
A 70-year-old man, identified as Mohammad Sharif, sustained fatal burn injuries when his clothes caught fire while smoking inside his house in Seelampur area of East Delhi. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The second incident took place in Vijay Vihar area in North Delhi in which two youths were injured after a mysterious blast took place inside their car. The duo were taken to a nearby hospital from where they were discharged after treatment. Police are investigating the cause of the blast.
On Diwali day, fire brigade received calls from almost all parts of the city. A Delhi Fire Service official said it received more than 180 calls about incidents of fire yesterday.
"We received a total of 184 calls from 8 PM last night till now," a senior fire brigade official said.
Fire tenders were deployed in markets which do not have fire stations nearby.
"Ninety-nine per cent of our personnel were on duty on Diwali day," said the official.
