Delhi: FIR filed in Dilli Haat fire, stall owners rap agencies

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said the investigation into the exact cause is ongoing, even as police have launched a parallel inquiry to determine how the fire spread so quickly through more than 30 tightly packed stalls

A day after a massive fire gutted over 30 shops at the iconic Dilli Haat, Delhi Police registered a case against “unknown persons” for negligence related to fire safety and for acts endangering life. Fire officials said preliminary findings point to an electrical fault or short circuit as the likely cause, with the blaze believed to have started from Shop No. 13 near Gate 2.

Dilli Haat was shut following the fire. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said the investigation into the exact cause is ongoing, even as police have launched a parallel inquiry to determine how the fire spread so quickly through more than 30 tightly packed stalls.

Shopkeepers and visitors who were present Wednesday night said the area’s congested layout — dense with handloom, handicrafts, and food stalls — contributed to the rapid spread. Many shops, they noted, are now concretised and poorly ventilated.

The first reports of the fire came around 8.30pm and within minutes, the blaze had engulfed dozens of stalls. Shopkeepers fled with whatever they could carry; visitors ran for safety. DFS fire tenders reportedly arrived by 9pm. It took two hours to douse the flames. Goods worth crores were destroyed.

On Thursday morning, anxious shopkeepers protested outside the entrance as authorities closed the market. Many pleaded to be let in to check on their shops, but were denied access.

“I lost pashmina worth ₹1 crore,” said Shauket Ahmed, who sells shawls, kurtas, and carpets. “I go to Kashmir only once every six months. This stock was newly purchased. It took me ₹2 lakh in rent just to get this stall. Now I have nothing left to sell.”

Ahmed and his friend Md Shairaz tried using fire extinguishers to control the blaze—but both were jammed, they said. “We only managed to grab two handbags full of shawls and run.”

Nearby, Ajaiz Hussain, 40, who sells Chikankari kurtas and lehengas, said he lost garments that had taken months to produce. “My lehengas take five months each. I lost stock worth ₹80 lakh. I tried helping others evacuate, but nothing could be saved. The fire extinguishers didn’t work and DFS came too late. The tourism department was missing.”

Vijay Kumar, who runs a Madhubani painting stall, said, “The fire spread because at least four extinguishers failed. The others weren’t used properly. No one knew what to do. By the time DFS arrived, everything was gone. I’ve lost paintings worth ₹10–50 lakh.”

Many shopkeepers blamed the Delhi Tourism Department, which runs Dilli Haat, for failing to maintain safety. In particular, they alleged the back entrance—once used for emergencies—had been sealed off and replaced with more stalls, choking ventilation and limiting escape routes.

Spread across six acres, Dilli Haat is one of Delhi’s best-known cultural landmarks, with 166 stalls showcasing crafts and cuisine from across India. According to officials, the market sees a daily footfall of about 150,000 people.

Established in 1994 with just 62 stalls built in red-brick masonry, Dilli Haat has seen a surge in commercialisation. The number of food stalls has risen from 25 to nearly 30. Officials estimate that over 1,000 people were present when the fire broke out.

“There used to be space near the stage, but that’s now gone,” said Kumar. “Shops are stacked like bricks. We’re crammed in, and now we’re the ones paying the price.”

A snack stall owner, who declined to be named, said his losses were total. “My stall was next to a handloom unit. Everything’s interconnected—no ventilation, no room to move. I’ve lost everything. The extinguishers didn’t work.”

While no injuries were reported, the fire exposed deep flaws in the market’s emergency preparedness—non-functional extinguishers, blocked exits, overcrowding, and lack of basic training.

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Surendra Choudhary said the fire call was received at 8.45pm. “We have registered an FIR under BNS sections 287 (negligence with respect to fire) and 125 (act endangering life), and an inquiry is underway.”

A shopkeeper, who did not want to be named, said, “We bid monthly for our stalls. I paid ₹3 lakh in rent to sell handlooms. Now everything’s gone. I was signing bills when I saw the fire. I couldn’t save a single piece of cloth.”

Kuldeep Kumar, who sells wedding attire, said, “I was saving up for my sister’s wedding in January. I saw my shop burn before my eyes. They make us pay lakhs in rent and build stalls with plastic. Now I have nothing.”

Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra on Friday promised compensation and said affected shopkeepers will be re-allocated stalls. Repeated calls to the tourism department for comment on the safety lapses and blocked emergency exits went unanswered.