Five fires across Delhi in a day, no casualties

In Old Rajendra Nagar, students and staff of the coaching centre library and diners in the restaurants were evacuated in time

A fire broke out inside a commercial building housing restaurants and a coaching centre’s library in Old Rajendra Nagar, central Delhi on Sunday, officials said, adding that there were no casualties as students and staff in the library and diners in the eateries were evacuated in time.

The fire gutted the second, third and fourth floors of the five-storey building in Old Rajendra Nagar. (Delhi Fire Service)

The fire gutted the second, third and fourth floors of the five-storey building. The second and third floors have restaurants while the fourth floor has the library. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said they got a call about the fire at 11.08 am.

“We think the fire broke out due to an electrical fault. The fourth floor, where the students were, was covered with a tin shed. We rushed to the scene with eight fire tenders and later called two more as the fire spread to three floors,” said a fire officer. Students and staff inside the coaching centre library evacuated when they spotted smoke. Diners in the restaurants were also evacuated in time, police said. “The fire was doused by 12.30 pm. There was no danger to anyone as people had already left,” the fire officer added.

The area has multiple IAS and other coaching centres and commercial establishments, which are all stacked close to each other. In July 2024, three IAS aspirants died after the basement of a coaching centre here got flooded due to heavy rains.

A couple of hours later in west Delhi, a fire broke out inside a hotel in Paschim Vihar. No casualties were reported in this incident.

“The fire broke out at 1.15 pm. After we got the call, we rushed five fire tenders to the scene. The fire was small and was controlled by 1.50 pm. It started from a room on the third floor of the hotel and spread towards the hall area. The building has a basement, ground and three upper floors,” said Atul Garg, chief of DFS.

Later at 2.20 pm, a fire broke out at a godown in Ganesh Nagar, east Delhi. Two fire tenders reached the spot and rescued a 27-year-old woman who lived there with her pet dog and rabbit. No casualties were reported. The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained.

At 9pm, a fire broke out inside a shop in Sarojini Nagar market. The fire was doused within an hour, and nobody was injured.

Early Sunday morning, six members of a family fell unconscious after a fire broke out inside a house at 3.30 am due to a short circuit in an e-rickshaw that was being charged near the house basement. Two children aged seven and six and four adults were injured.

The fire was doused by three fire tenders and all the family members were rescued. Police said the victims did not suffer any burn injuries.