175 shanties gutted near Jamia Nagar

In yet another case of a major fire in a matter of five days, more than 175 shanties were gutted on Tuesday afternoon in the densely populated Shaheen Bagh area in Jamia Nagar. This is the sixth major fire reported this month.

In yet another case of a major fire in a matter of five days, more than 175 shanties were gutted on Tuesday afternoon in the densely populated Shaheen Bagh area in Jamia Nagar. This is the sixth major fire reported this month.

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Police said no one was injured in the fire that was reported around 11:27 a.m. “As soon as we got the call, we dispatched four fire tenders to the spot,” said a fire department official.

The police said the fire was doused by 12:50 p.m. Though the exact cause was not known, the police said a short circuit might have caused it.

The residents, however, claimed some anti-social elements started the fire.

“We saw a group of young boys hanging around in the area. When we asked them what were they doing here, they ran away. We believe it was them who set the houses on fire,” claimed Saqlain Zule Khan, a resident of the area.

“Prima facie it seems that the fire was caused by a short circuit. But we are investigating the case from every possible angle,” said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.