Fires erupt in Geeta Colony, Najafgarh

A fire broke out in a readymade garments packaging shop on the first floor and a godown storing hosiery and garments in east Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar around 8.20 am. Thirteen fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was brought under control by 10.25 am. No casualty was reported.

Police suspect a short circuit started the fire. “We are still investigating. But it looks like a short-circuit,” a police officer said.

The fire in Najafgarh started in a plywood facotry located in the Nagli Shakravati industrial area around 5 am, the fire department said.

Twenty-five fire tenders took more than four hours to extinguish the blaze, which was put out by 9.30 am. No casualty was reported as workers were yet to arrive at the factory. A short-circuit is suspected to have started the fire.

On rising fire incidents in the capital, Director of Delhi Fire Services A K Sharma said, “The population of the city is ever expanding. We are touching the border on almost every side now. Thus, there’s a huge pressure on natural resources and incidents have increased. We are receiving more calls because we have a huge population to deal with.”

In the fire that broke out in Sadar Bazar’s Rui Mandi on Monday evening, fire officials said the fire started in a hosiery shop and spread to neighbouring shops. After the fire was put out, a small fire started again around 11 pm. Four more fire tenders were sent and the flames doused in around 15 minutes. Fire tenders were on stand-by all night. The neighbouring mosque’s caretaker, Md. Ismail, emptied the mosque’s water tank to help douse the fire.

(The reporter is a trainee with The Indian Express)