New Delhi: A fire broke out at a slum cluster in Kirti Nagar early Thursday, gutting as many as 50 hutments and leaving hundreds of occupants homeless.
Firefighters said while no one was injured in the incident, multiple cooking gas cylinder explosions made firefighting a tough task.
According to Delhi Fire Service (DFS) offers, the fire was reported at about 12.45 am. Atul Garg, director, DFS, said initially eight fire tenders were sent but as the blaze grew, four more were sent to contain it.
“The occupants managed to escape to a safer place. It took us at least two hours to control the blaze while cooling operations continued till morning. There were at least 5-6 explosions in LPG cylinders being used by the residents. This made our job riskier but no one was hurt,” Garg said.
While the exact cause of the fire remained unknown, a senior official said it probably started from a heater or a brazier.