Delhi Fire News: Three restaurants, two shops, and two flats were gutted in a fire that broke out in southeast Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area on Saturday evening. According to officials, no casualties were reported. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call at 5:44 PM reporting that a fire had broken out in electric wires outside Zaika Restaurant on Shaheen Bagh's 40 Foota Road, news agency PTI reported.
According to PTI, Riyaz, a member of the Shaheen Bagh Resident Welfare Association, stated, "We immediately informed the local police soon after a restaurant caught fire. By the time fire-fighting engines reached the spot, it had spread to the restaurant."
Approximately 18 fire tenders were deployed to the scene and it took about one and a half hours to control the blaze.
Riyaz noted, "The station house officer came within five minutes, but the fire engines came late. Two flats also caught fire, but thankfully, no one was injured in the incident." No injuries have been reported in this incident.
A police officer suggested that the fire likely started due to a short circuit in electric wires outside Zaika Restaurant. "The intensity of the fire was so high that it soon spread to the restaurant and its neighbouring restaurants and shops. Since the lanes were narrow, the DFS vehicles took time to reach the spot," he added, as quoted by PTI.
Several videos of the incident surfaced on social media, showing buildings engulfed in flames and locals running to safety. DFS Station Officer Praveen Kumar stated, "No LPG cylinder blast or any other incident took place, otherwise, the damage could have been greater. The fire is completely doused now."
Local shopkeeper Zubair Siddiqi expressed his frustration, saying, "Had it been controlled in time, this massive loss could have been averted."
The police mentioned that the actual cause of the fire is yet to be determined. "A case is being registered and further investigations are underway," an officer said, as per PTI.
Delhi: 3 Workers Dead, 6 Injured In Food Processing Unit Fire In Narela
In another incident, three workers lost their lives and six others were injured when a fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday at the Shayam Kripa Foods Private Limited factory in Narela Industrial Area. The factory, which processes dry moong dal, experienced a gas leak from one of its pipelines, leading to a fire that caused a powerful blast.
The Delhi Police received a distress call at 3:35 AM and dispatched fourteen fire tenders to the scene. The fire was extinguished by noon, but not before it had engulfed the factory and trapped several workers inside. Nine people were rescued and admitted to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela. PTI reported. Three workers, Shyam (24), Ram Singh (30), and Beerpal (42), were declared dead. The injured individuals, Pushpender (26), Akash (19), Mohit Kumar (21), Ravi Kumar (19), Monu (25), and Lalu (32), are receiving treatment at Safdarjung Hospital for burn injuries.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire started due to a gas leak, which caused the compressor to overheat and explode, resulting in the collapse of a wall. The factory, run by Ankit Gupta and Vinay Gupta, was reportedly operating without proper safety measures or a fire no-objection certificate. Both owners have been arrested.