Chemical reaction sparks cosmetics store fire, three hurt

 Three persons were badly injured when a fire broke out at a cosmetic shop in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Monday afternoon. The injured have been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment.

The cosmetics store which was engulfed by fire is located at Nand Enclave near Khirki Village. A fire department official said that the cause of the fire is believed to be a chemical reaction in the perfumes kept in a drum.

The store workers who were injured have been identified as Kalicharan, Surinder and Praveen. 

They were busy separating some goods that had recently arrived at the store when the fire broke out in the drum kept nearby. “The flames spread so quickly that the trio were unable to escape immediately,” said an official.

The three victims suffered between 50 and 70 percent burns and were immediately rushed to Safdarjung Hospital by the locals. 

By the time the fire tenders arrived at the spot, the entire floor containing the store was caught in flames. Four fire tenders took about half-an-hour to douse the flames, the official added.