80 rescued after blaze in building at Lajpat Nagar market

The ground and first floors of the building housed a private bank and a private company was operating on the second and third floors, the fire officials said.

Fire department officials rescued at least 80 people after a blaze broke out in the basement of a building in southeast Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar market on Wednesday, officials said. The fire started in the electrical panel of the building, they said.

Firemen conduct rescue operations after a fire broke out at the basement's meter board in Lajpat Nagar area, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)

A senior fire official said the information about the fire was received at 2.54 pm and 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

All the people on the other floors of the building were safely rescued.

The ground and first floors of the building housed a private bank and a private company was operating on the second and third floors, the fire officials said.

Around 80 people were rescued safely by Delhi Fire Services personnel from the first, second and third floors. The fire broke out only in the basement of the building, fire department officers aware of the matter said.

According to police, smoke engulfed the entire building and people started choking and panicking. The rescue operation was started and window panes were broken as people inside the building were gasping for air, a senior police officer said.

People were calmed down and helped to reach a window on the backside of the building. Police personnel climbed to the window with the help of ladders and ropes and rescued people by forming a human chain, the officer said.

No one was injured, the police said.

On June 12 last year, five showrooms were damaged after a massive fire broke out in the Lajpat Nagar market.

Three buildings housing mainly showrooms of garments, watches and crockery caught fire. No one was inside the shops at the time of the incident.