NEW DELHI: Around 150 shops were gutted in a blaze at a wholesale market in Bhagirath Palace area of Chandni Chowk while firefighting operations continued even after 24 hours on Friday, police said. The firefighters burnt the midnight oil to bring the situation under control. Delhi Fire Service (DFS) Director Atul Garg, while speaking to this newspaper, said the team was informed about the fire around 9.20 pm on Thursday after which 40 fire tenders rushed to the Bhagirath Palace market.
Five buildings were affected and three of them collapsed, officials said, adding no loss of life or injuries has been reported so far. “The fire was brought under control on Friday morning but by evening, it reignited and became massive once again. It has been nearly 24 hours since the fire broke out and firefighters are still struggling to douse the flames,” said a senior police officer.
The fire trucks had problem in reaching the spot on time due to the narrow lanes of the locality. Apart from the narrow lanes, portion of 4-5 buildings also collapsed. To counter the shortage of water, the DFS plugged the trucks all the way from the market till the Red Fort Metro Station. Meanwhile, a senior Delhi Police official said that legal action should be taken as per law, once the fire is extinguished and after detailed assessment of the damages.
Meanwhile, traders associations said that they will take all possible steps to provide help to the affected traders. “It is difficult to estimate how many shops have been affected so far, but considering the nature of the fire, about 250 shops are expected to be affected by the fire,” said a member of Confederation of All India Trades.
Up in flames
WATCH HERE: