Major fire razes container depot in Delhi

A major fire engulfed a sprawling container depot in Delhi early Saturday, destroying 24 of the 25 warehouses that usually store goods meant for exports, the fire brigade said.

A major fire engulfed a sprawling container depot in Delhi early Saturday, destroying 24 of the 25 warehouses that usually store goods meant for exports, the fire brigade said.

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The blaze started around 5 am but the Delhi Fire Service was alerted only about 45 minutes later, Chief Fire Officer RC harma told reporters at the fire site.

Some 30 fire tenders battled the leaping flames for at least five hours, officials and witnesses said.

"The fire spread rapidly. By the time we reached, a portion of the roof had collapsed," Sharma said.

While there were no causalties, the losses would be enormous, other fire officials said.

The Inland Container Depot (ICD), as it is officially known, is spread over 60 hectares near the Tughlaqabad railway station in south Delhi.

The reason for the fire is not known, said the official, adding that the fire destroyed 24 of the 25 warehouses storing goods meant to be exported.

"It was a major fire and the losses will be in crores (of rupees). Over 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot," the official said.

The fire led to a huge traffic jam on an otherwise busy road linking Mehrauli and Badarpur.