Delhi: 2 dead in fire at illegal e-rickshaw charging centre in Shahdara

A godown was used for storing sugarcane juice machines and doubled up as a charging and parking spot for e-rickshaws

Two men were charred to death and four others suffered burn injuries in a fire at a suspected illegal e-rickshaw charging centre set up inside a tin-roofed godown in Shahdara’s Ram Nagar early Sunday morning, police said, adding that the owner of the godown was arrested and booked for causing death by negligence.

The shed where the fire took place. (Arvind Yadav/HT)

A senior police officer said the fire engulfed a roughly 300-square-yard structure near Ram Mandir on Moti Ram Road. The officer said the godown was used for storing sugarcane juice machines and doubled up as a charging and parking spot for e-rickshaws.

“It appears to be an illegally running charging station but we are investigating,” the officer said, adding that 10 e-rickshaws stored in the godown were also gutted.

A fire department official said that e-rickshaw fires are especially reported during summer. Although cases of e-rickshaws catching fire are uncommon and isolated, they said short circuits are often reported at illegal charging facilities. “All over Delhi, there are illegal e-rickshaw charging stations because they are cheaper on the pocket of e-rickshaw drivers and owners make money. But it’s extremely dangerous because they don’t follow any fire safety rules and regulations. They don’t even keep fire extinguishers,” the official said.

The deceased were identified as Brijesh, 19, and Maniram, 18; both from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh. The injured—Harishankar, 19, Rinku, 18, Mukesh, 22, and Vipin, 19—suffered burns from 7% to 45% and are being treated at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said.

Police said that the fire may have originated from the charging equipment and the forensics team is analysing it. “The godown was managed by a man identified as Vinod Rathore. He has been arrested and further investigation is underway. ” the DCP said.

Police said that the fire was reported around 6.40am to the control room, following which the Delhi Fire Service deployed fire tenders and doused the flames by 8.30am.

The senior officer cited above said all six in the godown were juice vendors. “They were all from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. They used to stay here in this tin shed only. Their families have been informed and are yet to reach Delhi,” the officer said.

Another officer on condition of anonymity said that they were also probing if rain and thunderstorms caused a short circuit.

There have been multiple cases of e-rickshaw fires reported in the Capital.

In August 2024, a seven-year-old boy was electrocuted to death in northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, after he came in contact with an electric rickshaw that was being charged at an “unauthorised” charging station in an illegal parking lot.

In September 2023, in northeast Delhi’s Nand Nagri, an e-rickshaw caught fire, resulting in the death of a 45-year-old woman and causing critical injuries to two other passengers. The driver was arrested for his alleged negligence.

In June 2022, a massive fire broke out at the parking area adjacent to Jamia Millia Islamia Metro Station, in which nearly 100 vehicles, including 80 e-rickshaws, were gutted. The fire is believed to have been caused by a short circuit in a charging cable used for an e-rickshaw.