A massive fire broke out in a cluster of shanties in Delhi’s Rithala area early on Thursday morning, March 5, gutting more than 50 huts. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) launched an operation and about 16 fire engines were deployed to control the flames that spread rapidly through the densely packed shanties. No injuries or deaths have been reported so far in the incident, the official said.
However, according to sources, a girl has been reported missing since the fire broke out. Search efforts are currently underway. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. According to the DFS, a call regarding the blaze was received at around 4.15 am. “Teams reached the spot soon after the call was received and launched firefighting operations. The fire engulfed several shanties in the cluster,” a fire official said.
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Fire Officer C.L. Meena said, "Our control room received a call at 4:15 AM, and we sent vehicles accordingly. As soon as our officer reached the spot, he saw that the fire was spread over approximately 2,500 square yards - the area was completely engulfed. So he upgraded the category, and at 4:35 AM, 5-7 more vehicles were sent..."
Preliminary information suggests that over 50 shanties were present in the area, many of which have been reduced to ashes in the blaze. Firefighters and local police personnel launched a rescue operation and managed to bring the fire under control by 6.30 am.