Matiala fish market fire spreads, guts jhuggis, nearly 1,500 left homeless

No deaths were reported, but slum dwellers spent the day sifting through heaps of ashes searching for their belongings.

Nearly 1,500 people were left homeless after a massive fire broke out at Matiala Village’s Mansa Ram Park area late on Wednesday night, gutting nearly 300 jhuggies, according to locals.

A massive fire broke out at a fish market in Matiala near Uttam Nagar in west Delhi around midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, around 300 to 400 slums were guted, in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Hindustan Times)

No deaths were reported, but slum dwellers spent the day sifting through heaps of ashes searching for their belongings. Residents alleged foul play behind the blaze.

“We cook food daily using cylinders and mud stove and nothing happens. Suddenly, the entire slum was reduced to ashes. Some locals saw three men on bike throw petrol,” said 30-year-old Gita Devi, a mother of three. “The fire started at one end and spread like a wildfire. We left everything behind with just holding hands of children and carrying the newborns,” she added.

Locals said they have lost everything--utensils, furniture, documents and medical prescriptions. The slum was home to nearly 100 children, many of whom were first-generation learners. Some attended nearby government schools, while others spent a few hours daily studying at an NGO located next to the settlement.

“I had studied late into the night for my SST exam scheduled for today. I won’t be able to take the exam as all my books were burnt,” said 12-year-old Riya Kumari who studies in class 5 in a nearby government school.

Locals said this is the second fire within a week since the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) issued eviction warnings in the area. “On March 5, the MCD made announcements directing us to vacate the slum by March 7. Some of us managed to rent rooms. We have been living here for over two decades and two days is not enough to vacate. There was a small fire on March 7. We didn’t know that this is how we will be forced to leave,” said 33-year-old Nagendra.

While locals alleged foul play, police said they are yet to verify these allegations.

Police said they had to break glass windows of cars to prevent further spread of fire.

DCP (Dwarka) Kushal Pal Singh said,“A PCR call regarding the fire was received at Bindapur police station at 11:57 pm on Wednesday. Residents were safely evacuated. Around 28 fire tenders doused the blaze by around 3 am on Thursday. As per our records, 80 shanties have been reported burnt.”

Police said on March 7 another fire broke out at the same location.

“As per information by the revenue department, this is a private property. However, the ownership is disputed. There have been multiple complaints regarding illegal garbage dumping and garbage being set on fire for which a debris removal drive was scheduled by DM Kapashera on March 7 but was postponed due to logistical issues,” said the DCP.