50 shanties gutted in fire at Wazirabad village, no injuries

Around 50 shanties and stores were gutted in a massive fire that broke out at Wazirabad village in Sector 52 on Sunday night

Around 50 shanties and stores were gutted in a massive fire that broke out at Wazirabad village in Sector 52 on Sunday night. No injuries were reported in the incident, said officials.

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According to fire department officials, the incident was reported at 12.15am on Sunday, following which seven fire tenders were sent to the spot, located near the Bihari market. It took fire department officials three hours to douse the flames and they were able to stop the fire from spreading to at least 100 more shanties in the area, said officials.

“The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Sporadic LPG cylinder blasts stored inside the shanties as well as strong winds aggravated the blaze. We doused the blaze within three hours and all fire tenders returned to their respective fire brigades by 4.30am,” said IS Kashyap, assistant divisional fire safety officer (ADFSO).

Kashyap said that the fire department was able to control the blaze within an hour of starting the dousing operations, while ensuring the flames did not spread to an adjoining area, where 100 more shanties are located.

Residents said that most of them were asleep as the fire broke out around midnight.

“The fire broke out around midnight and most people were sleeping at the time. I was also sleeping. Two people woke me up and told me that a fire broke out. I left in a hurry. Within minutes, my shop was engulfed in flames,” said Musir, a resident, who owned a sugarcane shop in the vicinity.

Residents said that around 40 shanties and 12 shops were gutted in the incident.

“Besides the cylinder blasts, a hardware store too caught fire. Due to paints and chemicals stored inside, the store was highly flammable, and it further aggravated the blaze. I have been staying here for the past five years. Suddenly, I am left without a home and my daily source of income,” said Musir.

Of the 100 shanties that were saved, 22 were unoccupied and those affected have relocated there temporarily.

“The contractor owning the shanties has adjusted everyone in the unoccupied shanties. These were constructed recently and hence, were empty. Four to five people are staying in each of these shanties temporarily. The contractor said that all gutted items will be removed by Tuesday and by Thursday, 20 new shanties will be erected so that those displaced can have a home once again,” said Tamim, a ragpicker, whose shanty was also gutted in the incident.

It is the third such major fire incident this month that broke out among a cluster of shanties.

On April 3, over 180 shanties were gutted in Nathupur village, and on April 11, over 100 shanties and structures storing scrap and plastic waste were gutted after a fire broke out at a field in Naharpur Kasan, near Sector 6 of Manesar. No injuries were reported in both incidents.