New Delhi: Panic gripped parts of the national capital after massive fires broke out in two slum clusters in Punjabi Bagh and Shakur Basti, destroying hundreds of jhuggis and leaving families homeless overnight.
Punjabi Bagh Fire
According to initial reports, the fire broke out around 10:30 PM in a jhuggi cluster in Punjabi Bagh and quickly spread across a large area. Within minutes, flames engulfed multiple huts, triggering chaos as residents rushed out to save their lives.
Eyewitnesses said most people were asleep when the fire started and had no time to rescue their belongings. “We ran out with nothing. Clothes, household items—everything was reduced to ashes,” one resident said.
Locals alleged that the fire brigade reached the spot only after the fire had largely destroyed the area, though officials later managed to control the remaining flames. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far, but extensive property damage has occurred.
Shakur Basti Fire
In a separate incident late at night, another major fire broke out near the railway colony in Shakur Basti, rapidly spreading through a dense slum settlement.
The blaze was so intense that over 100 jhuggis were gutted within a short span. Fire tenders rushed to the spot, and after hours of firefighting operations, the flames were brought under control.
Officials confirmed that around 14 fire tenders were deployed to tackle the blaze, with cooling operations continuing in some pockets even after the fire was largely contained.
Cause Yet to Be Ascertained
Senior police and fire department officials reached both sites and launched an investigation. The exact cause of the fires remains unknown, and authorities said a detailed probe will be conducted once the situation is fully stabilised.
No Casualties Reported
Despite the scale of destruction, there have been no reports of loss of life in either incident so far. However, the back-to-back fires have once again raised concerns over fire safety and infrastructure in densely populated slum areas of Delhi.
Authorities are assessing the damage and are expected to initiate relief measures for affected families.
