A massive fire tore through the furniture market in northeast Delhi’s Shastri Park late on Friday night, gutting nearly 500 shops and causing extensive losses to traders ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, officials said.
According to the Delhi Fire Service (DFS), information about the blaze was received at 11.57 pm, following which 25 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
Police personnel from Shastri Park police station also reached the area immediately, while nearly 200 officers were deployed to manage the crowd and maintain law and order during the overnight firefighting operation. The blaze was brought under control around 3.15 am on Saturday. No casualties were reported.
A case, FIR No. 157/26 under Section 326(g) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), has been registered at Shastri Park police station and an investigation is underway, officials said.
According to Delhi Fire Service officials, the fire erupted in the furniture market near New Seelampur Metro Station and spread rapidly due to the presence of highly combustible materials such as wooden furniture and plywood.
Angry locals, alleging a delay in the arrival of fire tenders, pelted stones at firefighting vehicles as crews attempted to douse the blaze. Visuals from the scene showed intense flames engulfing large parts of the market while a crowd gathered nearby.
A local resident said the fire broke out around 11.15 pm and initially affected only two shops before spreading rapidly.
“The blaze had started in the middle of the market. Initially, only two shops had caught fire, and we still do not know how it started. Now, almost the entire market has been destroyed—barely 20 shops are left. People have suffered massive losses. It is festival time, which makes this even more tragic,” he said.
Some residents alleged that the fire tenders reached the spot late, resulting in major financial losses for traders. Officials said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
