New Delhi gov't orders probe into fire which killed 15 people

The New Delhi government has ordered a probe into the fire which broke out at a community hall in the national capital Sunday evening, killing at least 15 people and injuring over 50 others, police said on Monday. A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the incident. The Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikhsit will visit the injured recuperating in various hospitals, where the condition of some are said to be serious. The fire first broke out in the kitchen of the community hall and the flames later engulfed adjoining tents in Nand Nagri in east Delhi where 2,000 eunuchs or transsexuals gathered for a three-day convention. Police said the cause of the fire could be an electric short circuit. They said electrical glitch started the fire which was subsequently triggered by gas cylinders that started blasting due to the impact of the fire. Over 20 fire tenders were pressed into service as local TV channels beamed footage of the raging flames and the dead bodies being carried away. The fire was brought into control after two to three hours. The transsexuals in India are socially marginalized people feeding themselves by providing entertainment, funeral, marriage and ritual services.