Fire Erupts In Building At Delhi’s Jhandewalan, Nearly 3 Dozen Vehicles Also Gutted

A fire erupted in Delhi's Anarkali building and Jhandewalan's DDA Shopping Complex, with no reports of trapped individuals.

Fire broke out in Anarkali building and DDA Shopping Complex Jhandewalan, Delhi.

Source : ANI

A massive fire engulfed a four-storey commercial complex in central Delhi’s Jhandewalan Extension on Tuesday, damaging nearly three dozen vehicles, officials said. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.

Thick plumes of black smoke and towering flames could be seen from a distance as the fire rapidly spread through the building, which houses an ICICI Bank branch, an ATM, and a Domino’s Pizza outlet, among other offices. Initially, eight fire tenders were deployed, but as the flames intensified due to strong winds, additional resources were called in, a Delhi Fire Services official said, as per news agency PTI.

#WATCH | Delhi: Fire broke out in Anarkali building and DDA Shopping Complex Jhandewalan. Fire tenders and police personnel are at the spot. Some vehicles parked nearby have also caught fire. Firefighting operation is underway. pic.twitter.com/lh6H87LFwf

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025

Deputy Chief Fire Officer SK Dua stated, “A total of 25 fire tenders were involved in extinguishing the blaze. As of now, no casualties have been reported. We will conduct a thorough check.” Firefighters used a crane to spray water on the upper floors, and no one was found trapped inside, an official added.

#WATCH | Delhi: Fire broke out in Anarkali building and DDA Shopping Complex Jhandewalan. Fire tenders and police personnel are at the spot. Some vehicles parked nearby have also caught fire. Firefighting operation is underway.

(Visuals from the spot) pic.twitter.com/B0n6HY0Cyd

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025

The timely intervention of locals and passersby ensured the swift evacuation of people from the Anarkali Complex in Block E-3, officials noted. According to initial findings, the fire originated around 2 pm from a temporary tarpaulin shed on the top floor, where a spark ignited an air conditioner, leading to an explosion and a massive blaze.

The ICICI Bank branch, which occupies a significant portion of the ground and first floors, was closed due to the financial year-end account reconciliation, preventing a major disaster. However, police suspect that some cash in the ATM may have been damaged. Meanwhile, there were no operational shops on the upper floors as construction and renovation work was underway. People at the pizza outlet were also evacuated in time, officials confirmed, as per PTI.

Nearly Three Dozen Vehicles Gutted In Fire At Delhi’s Jhandewalan Extension

The fire also gutted nearly three dozen vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, parked near the building after burning hoardings collapsed onto them. DCP (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said the fire spread to an adjacent Delhi Development Authority (DDA) shopping complex.

The police cordoned off the area as firefighting efforts continued. While authorities confirmed renovation work was ongoing on the second and third floors, the police statement did not specify any bank name. A fire official categorised the incident as of “medium” intensity, given the scale of the blaze.

A shop owner near the building told PTI, “The fire started around 2 pm in the top left corner. The guard noticed the smoke and warned those inside. People were evacuated before the fire spread.”

Krishan Singh, an eyewitness, recounted, “At first, we thought the workers engaged in renovation had burned something, but when we saw flames, we rushed to raise an alarm.”

Ajay, a branch manager at a nearby private bank, said his car was among those gutted by the fire. “I was least bothered about my car. I was more worried about the workers inside the pizza outlet. I immediately rushed to the spot and helped them come out,” he said, as quoted by PTI.

Another eyewitness remarked, “Security guards acted on time and alerted everyone. We hope that everyone inside the building managed to get out safely. All nearby offices shut for the day, and employees were asked to leave.”

According to fire department sources cited by PTI, the rising temperatures have led to an increase in fire-related incidents. The department is currently handling over 125 calls per day.

On the same day, Delhi witnessed three other fire incidents: in northeast Delhi’s Shastri Park, a blaze in a parking lot gutted a car and several rickshaws; in Janakpuri, three cars caught fire near Janak Cinema; and in northwest Delhi’s New Seelampur, a fire broke out in a slum cluster near Jag Parvesh Hospital, damaging four to five huts.

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