As many as 30 shops were gutted in a massive blaze in Dilli Haat, a popular open-air market and food plaza in South Delhi. Shop owners claimed to have lost goods worth around Rs 10 crore. They also stated that there were no proper fire safety arrangements in the marketplace.
The Delhi Fire Services said no casualty was reported in the incident.
“We received a call regarding a fire at the Dilli Haat Market at 8.55 pm, and 14 fire engines were rushed to the spot. A total of 30 shops were gutted. The fire has been extinguished, and no injuries were reported,” said Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg. The police had earlier estimated the number of destroyed shops at 25.
A shop owner, Shauket Ahmed, claimed he suffered losses of at least Rs 1.5 crore. “We don’t know how the fire broke out, but we could not save anything,” he said.
“I have lost my entire life’s savings. We had set up this stall by taking a loan… Everything we earned over the years is gone,” said another shop owner.
Several shopkeepers highlighted inadequate fire safety measures at Dilli Haat. Vijai Kumar, a seller of Madhubani paintings, stated that the fire spread quickly due to the absence of firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers. “It took the fire brigade nearly one and a half hours to reach. There were no adequate arrangements in place to help us respond to such an emergency,” Kumar said.
The traders reported that the fire started around 8:30 pm, possibly due to a short circuit. According to a police statement, a PCR call about the fire was received at Sarojini Nagar Police Station at approximately 8.45 pm.
“Acting swiftly, the SHO and police personnel reached the location and found that a fire had engulfed approximately 24 shops situated in the Stage Area of Delhi Haat,” the statement read.
The area was promptly evacuated, and fire tenders managed to bring the blaze under control. Mishra, the Minister of Art, Culture and Language, stated in a post on X, that while many shops were gutted, there were no casualties reported. He had reached the marketplace to meet the affected.
