Dilli Haat fire: Decades of work turns to ashes, shopkeepers mourn losses worth crores

New Delhi: "Everything I had worked so hard for 10 years has vanished overnight," said a shopkeeper who lost his shop in the massive fire that broke out at Dilli Haat. On Wednesday night, a fire broke out in the Dilli Haat INA market, engulfing 30 shops and destroying goods worth several crores. Thirteen fire tenders were rushed to the spot to bring the blaze under control. No casualties were reported. "I was saving up for my sister's wedding next year and had planned everything down to the last detail. But after this tragedy, I don't even know will we manage," said Kuldeep Kumar, who used to sell chikankari kurtas at his shop at Dilli Haat INA. "All my earnings, savings--everything I had worked so hard for 10 years vanished overnight. Now, there’s nothing left," Kumar told media reporters.

Describing the sequence of events in detail, he said he was sitting inside when he heard people shouting. There were many tourists around. Everyone rushed out when they saw the fire. Kumar said that he tried to save what he could but the fire spread rapidly and in just 10 minutes, 25–30 shops were gutted. He lost goods worth Rs 80–85 lakh. Several shopkeepers shared similar sentiments and said that it was the first time when they had witnessed something like this. "It felt like a movie scene, the way fire spread and people started rushing out," they said. Ajai Shahu, a jewellery seller from Odisha, was among the many shopkeepers who lost their goods and shops in the massive fire. He said that he had been waiting outside the sealed gates of the market since 4 am, in hopes of getting a glimpse of his shop. "I watched it burn right in front of my eyes. I went home at 2 am, but could not sleep. I came back after two hours, but I am still not allowed in," said Shahu. Known for pearls and silver pieces, he said that he has lost jewellery worth around Rs 70 to 80 lakh. "This was my only livelihood. Now, I have nothing," he said.

While the police are yet to ascertain the cause of fire, some shopkeepers pointed to safety concerns at the market that was established in March 1994. "People come here to showcase their art, but there is no proper recognition or basic infrastructure. Our stalls are made of fibre and polythene — materials that catch fire easily. If the shops had been built with safer materials, this might not have happened," Ram Kumar Yadav, an artisan from Madhubani, Bihar, said. "We hope Prime Minister Modi and the ministers consider compensation for our loss," said Yadav. Dilli Haat has been a vibrant platform for artisans and craftspeople from across the country. Designed as a modern version of a traditional rural haat or village market, it provided a livelihood for over 200 shopkeepers who sold handmade crafts, ethnic cuisine, and cultural performances in one bustling space.