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RK Puram blaze wipes out market
A devastating fire in R K Puram’s sector 9 market destroyed nearly 150 shops and several tenements on Sunday afternoon.
A devastating fire in R K Puram’s sector 9 market destroyed nearly 150 shops and several tenements on Sunday afternoon.
There was no loss of lives, but officials warned that safety was the last thing on people’s mind in key markets across the city.
A second fire in north-west Delhi’s Jahangirpuri also gutted several tenements and godowns. There are no reports of any casualty.
“Today’s blaze was a major one. It had the potential of claiming many lives. Luckily no one was injured but fire-safety norms are being flouted in almost all crowded markets,” a fire-fighter said.
The place was packed with shoppers, he said.
At that time, most shops were busy catering to customers from the government colonies nearby. When the first fire fighting units started arriving, the blaze was already speading, threatening nearby colonies.
Soon, more than a dozen of fire-tenders from neighbouring stations were summoned on an emergency basis.
As many as 22 fire tenders fought for more than an hours to bring the blaze under control.
The market largely comprises vegetable vendors and grocery stores. About 100 shacks — where many vendors stayed — were also gutted. Few shopkeepers managed to retrieve their wares, provisions and equipment.
Delhi Fire Service chief R C Sharma said initial investigation suggest the fire might been triggered by a LPG cylinder.
“Transferring LPG is always risky and invariably such shops don't have any safety arrangements,” Sharma said. Shopowners said losses of goods were worth several lakhs of rupees.
