A significant fire erupted in a warehouse in the Alipur area of Delhi, prompting a large-scale firefighting operation involving 35 fire tenders and approximately 200 personnel. The blaze, reported around 4 PM, spread to three buildings within the godown, all of which have since collapsed.
Chief Fire Officer Virender Singh provided updates on the situation, stating, “The situation is under control, but our firefighting efforts are ongoing.” He emphasised that the affected godowns lacked essential firefighting measures, complicating the response efforts. “We are bringing water from 500 meters away as our vehicles cannot access the narrow streets in the area,” Singh noted.
Resident Phulman described the site as a storage facility for paper and wrappers. “We don’t know how the fire started—whether it was a short circuit or something else,” he said. He confirmed that the fire began between 2 PM and 2:30 PM, but he was uncertain if there were any workers present at the time.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said in a post on X that the incident was worrisome and she was personally monitoring it.
The chief minister said she was in touch with the district magistrate concerned, and all possible official help was being provided. No one was reported to be injured in the incident, she added.
Fire officials said the warehouse was suspected to be used for storage of paper and chemicals, but the exact details are not yet available.
The fire has raised concerns regarding safety protocols in commercial storage facilities, especially as the collapsed buildings highlight potential risks associated with inadequate fire prevention systems.
(ANI inputs)