New Delhi, Nov 6: A major fire broke out at a mobile accessories shop in Delhi’s busy Gaffar Market early Friday, rapidly spreading across all floors of a four-storey commercial building and prompting the deployment of around 20 to 25 fire tenders.
Representational Image
No casualties or injuries had been reported at the time of the latest available information, although the blaze caused significant property damage.
According to Delhi Police, a PCR call reporting a fire at a building in Chain Wali Gali was received at Karol Bagh Police Station at 1.28 am. Police personnel on night duty, accompanied by the Station House Officer (SHO), rushed to the location and found the building at Shop No. 13/21, Puri Plaza, Gaffar Market, engulfed in flames.
The affected premises housed a four-storey commercial establishment dealing in mobile accessories.
Preliminary information suggests that the fire originated in a ground-floor shop where mobile batteries were stored before spreading to the upper floors. Firefighting and emergency response operations were launched immediately.
Around 20–25 fire tenders were pressed into service, while three CAT ambulances and two police control room (PCR) vehicles were also deployed at the scene to support the operation.
Battery Overheating Suspected; Probe Underway
Police said no loss of life or injuries had been reported so far, with the damage confined to property. However, the full extent of the losses is yet to be assessed.
Overheating or overcharging of batteries is being considered a possible cause of the incident, based on preliminary assessment. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established.
Incident Follows Deadly Factory Fire in Mangolpuri
The Gaffar Market incident comes just days after a devastating fire at a shoe factory in Delhi’s Mangolpuri Industrial Area claimed four lives and left two others seriously injured.
The factory fire broke out at around 9.30 pm on October 30 at a unit in Phase I of the industrial area. Firefighters, police personnel and rescue teams rushed to the site and carried out operations lasting several hours.
Six people were rescued from inside the factory and were reportedly found unconscious. Four later succumbed to their injuries, while two others sustained serious injuries.