NEW DELHI: A massive fire broke out at the Jhandewalan cycle market in central Delhi on Friday afternoon in which around 20-25 shops were gutted, said Delhi Fire Service officials. Firefighters said that they got the information about the blaze at 2.05 pm. Around 27 fire tenders rushed to the spot. “It took over two hours to douse the flames completely. The fire was brought under control by 4.30 pm. However, no casualties were reported,” said a senior official.
The fire started in one shop and spread across over 20-25 shops. The official added that it took firefighters some time to completely put off the fire. While Delhi has been reeling under a severe heatwave, there has also been a spurt in the number of fire incidents. Two factories caught fire on Thursday, killing one and a major blaze took place in the commercial building in Mundka last Friday which killed 27 people.
Shopkeepers said that the old and faulty electrical wiring and poor infrastructure were the main reason behind the fire. Amarjeet Singh, president of the market association, said that over 50 units within 20 shops were gutted in the blaze. The market has around 130-odd shops, with a basement.
“A short-circuit in the basement of one of the shops was the cause behind the fire. It spread to a geyser which then spead across the whole market. We tried to douse the flames, but could not control it. We also wrote to power discoms citing about the voltage fluctuations and short-circuit during the summers,” said Singh.He added that the market’s condition is almost dilapidated. “We have been writing to the administration several times for maintenance work, but nobody has bothered with it,” said Singh.