Over 110 shops gutted in Chandni Chowk blaze

NEW DELHI: In a gruelling overnight battle against soaring temperatures, firefighters managed to control a massive fire that destroyed over 110-120 shops in the congested Chandni Chowk area of north Delhi. One fireman was injured when the fire broke out in the Old Katra Marwadi Market around 5 pm on Thursday. It left no casualties but caused significant damage.

By early Friday morning, flames were still smouldering beneath collapsed sections of buildings, prompting an ongoing cooling operation. DFS Chief Atul Garg reported that the fire was brought under control at 4:30 am. “We have deployed eight fire tenders for the cooling operation. More than 50 fire tenders and 200 personnel were involved in the overnight effort to contain the blaze,” Garg stated.

The blaze resulted in the collapse of two buildings housing multiple shops, including the initial source of the fire. These shops primarily sold highly flammable items such as sarees and dupattas, which contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. “Small fires are still burning among the combustible materials in the debris,” Garg added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) M.K. Meena announced that forensic and electrical inspections would commence once the cooling operation concluded. An FIR is being registered to investigate the incident.

Preliminary reports suggest that the fire originated from a short circuit in an air conditioner on the second floor of one of the buildings. The fire then quickly spread through the interconnected shops in the narrow lanes of the market.

While numerous shopkeepers in Chandni Chowk faced devastation, other parts of the bustling shopping hub resumed business on Friday. Despite parts of Old Katra Marwari and Nai Sarak markets being closed by police, customers flocked to nearby shops for “huge sales.”

“Delhiites never stop. I am sure this incident will not deter even the affected shopkeepers,” said Devabrata Guha, visiting from West Bengal. Affected shopkeepers, stood near their ruined establishments, lamenting their losses.

Anil Kumar, whose 60-year-old shop was destroyed, expressed despair, unable to access his shop due to ongoing operations.