Massive blaze guts plywood factory in east Delhi; no casualties

A massive fire at a plywood godown in east Delhi caused smoke to spread for over two hours, leading to evacuations; no casualties reported.

A massive fire broke out at a plywood godown in east Delhi’s New Ashok Nagar on Sunday, sending thick plumes of dark smoke across parts of Delhi and Noida for more than two hours and prompting the evacuation of several nearby buildings, officials said. No casualties were reported.

The warehouse, spread across about 800 square yards, was stocked with plywood and was completely gutted, police said (HT)

The fire broke out around 3.30pm at the godown behind a cancer hospital in Vasundhara Enclave. The warehouse, spread across about 800 square yards, was stocked with plywood and was completely gutted, police said.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) initially rushed six fire tenders to the spot, but the scale of the blaze prompted the deployment of 25 fire tenders and more than 80 firefighters. The fire was classified as a “high category” emergency as flames engulfed the building.

The fire was brought under control after nearly five hours, officials said. Firefighters initially targeted the ground floor while checking for people who could have been trapped inside.

“By 7pm, we found no casualties. However, a fire officer, station officer Sunil Sagar, inhaled smoke during the operation and fell sick. He was rushed to LBS Hospital and is stable,” a DFS official said.

At 9.30pm, DFS spokesperson said firefighting operations were still ongoing.

The blaze triggered panic in nearby colonies as smoke spread across east Delhi, Noida and parts of south Delhi. Residents of six to eight houses were evacuated as a precaution, while officials said the fire did not spread to other large buildings.

At least two nearby houses were also gutted, fire officials said.

Abhay Kumar, a local resident, said his family was sleeping when they noticed smoke filling their house. “Soon, the water tank on our terrace was on fire. We ran outside. Thankfully, nothing happened to anyone here,” he said.

He said several residents moved their LPG cylinders out of their homes fearing they could catch fire. A young couple also left with their two children after their room filled with smoke, residents said.

The fire also raised concerns over the nearby cancer hospital, where several patients were present. However, hospital authorities told HT that the building was not affected and no evacuation or other preventive measures were required.

A senior fire official said firefighting was made difficult by the weak structure of the godown, part of which collapsed after the fire broke out. “We managed to access the building from the side and seal the entire area so everybody was safe,” the official said.