New Delhi, December 31: Even as it left the country in mourning with the tsunami disaster, the year could not have ended more cruelly for Delhi’s fire service, which lost three of their men, in today’s fire. But through the past year there were fire-related and other accidents which the Capital witnessed.

Including today’s, the Delhi Fire Service received 11,484 calls, in connection with fire, drowning, road accidents and building collapse.

Senior fire officials said there have been five incidents, in which they lost a personnel each. This year, one of the firemen was electrocuted while on duty, while four others were injured dousing flames. Among the biggest fires that DFS fought were those in Yamuna Pusta, Walled City, and North Delhi.

Eight persons were killed and six critically injured in two incidents of fire, one in a motorcycle-boot manufacturing unit at Sarai Rohilla and the other in a chemical shop at Govindpuri in April. In the same month, more than 2,500 shanties were destroyed in the fire in Yamuna Pusta. Latest being this week, when a two-year-old was killed in a fire that gutted 200 shanties.

A 17-year-old boy had died and 27 people were hospitalised in April when a fire in the Jaipur Golden Transport Company godown emanated toxic fumes at Roshanara Road. There were allegations that the firemen were been careful while dousing the flames at the godown.

A fire in Khari Boali and building collapse in Sadar Bazar, that killed four labourers, saw firemen involved in the rescue works. Officials said maximum fires were reported from Shahdara, Janakpuri, Moti Nagar, Circus (central), Roopnagar and Nehru Place in South Delhi. The reason being congested area and illegal storage of chemicals. ‘‘Maximum number of fires in Delhi are due to short circuits. This is alarming as a single cause can be so disastrous,’’ said an official.