Sultanpuri (Delhi): A major fire broke out in the slums near Sultanpuri Road in Delhi in the wee hours of Friday, officials said. Several slum tenements were completely gutted in the fire that raged for hours. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far, they added.
As many as 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot on information. Robots were also used to douse the flames, they said. Speaking to the media, the Divisional Fire Officer of Delhi A.K Jaiswal said, "15 fire tenders are present at the spot. The situation is under control. Robots are being used to extinguish the fire. No casualties were reported so far".
As the fire broke out, gas cylinders kept in the settlements exploded and the explosions kept the blaze expanding. It acted as a catalyst to spread the fire. Fire and emergency services personnel were checking the tenements on fire and were removing those living in the vicinity to safety.
Officials said the cause of the fire is yet to be identified. The police officials said that the extent of damage to the property and the cause of the fire will be ascertained only after investigation. The officials added that they will collect the details from the victims and verify the same before recording their damage estimates.
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Earlier in February, a major fire broke out in a factory near Moti Nagar Police Station in Delhi's Karampura area. Over 27 fire tenders rushed to the spot on information to control the flames. No burn injuries or casualties were reported in that incident as well. Over 16,000 fire incidents took place in the national capital last year, in which nearly 81 persons died and several suffered burn injuries. According to fire officials, commercial buildings, factories, and slums were found to be the most vulnerable to these fire mishaps.
