Lajpat Nagar fire: Blaze in showrooms in Delhi market under control; no casualties reported, says official

At least five showrooms were damaged in a massive fire that broke out in a market area in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar on Saturday morning, officials said, adding no injuries were reported. The incident took place in south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar Central Market area, officials said. According to the fire department, a call about the blaze was received around 10.20 am, following which 16 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. “When fire tenders reached the spot, four showrooms were on fire and later (the blaze) spread to the fifth shop. It must have started early morning in one of the shops and then spread to the rest,” Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg told PTI. Showing ANI the houses across a narrow street at the backside of these showrooms, Garg said, “Our men have worked very smartly; they ensured that the fire stays confined to its place. The operation began from the backside of the showrooms so that the fire does not cause any harm to the houses that side”. According to PTI, Garg said that a total of 30 fire tenders and over 100 firefighters were on the spot to bring the fire under control. Garg said the firemen were able to prevent the blaze from spreading further with a timely response to the call. When asked for a possible cause of the fire, Garg said that he speculates that the fire must have begun earlier in the morning, “but since the shops were closed, no one noticed until the fire spread to all 4 showrooms”. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “I am constantly monitoring the situation and in constant touch with the fire department officials.” With inputs from agencies