2 children die, 800 shanties gutted in Delhi as huge fire engulfs Rohini's slum area

Two children died while five others were injured when a massive fire gutted over 800 shanties in a jhuggi cluster at Sector 17 in Rohini on Sunday (April 27), a Delhi Fire Service official said.

The blaze was doused completely after firefighters worked tirelessly for three hours, but cooling operations are still underway, he said. Multiple police teams were also deployed at the spot along with the fire brigade.

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Charred bodies of two children -- a two-and-a-half-year-old and a three-year-old -- were recovered from the remains, DCP (Rohini) Amit Goel told PTI. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said they received a distress call around 11.55 am.

Fire under control

“We received a call reporting a fire close to Sriniketan Apartment at Sector 17. We immediately dispatched 17 fire engines. Upon observing the intensity of the fire, we upgraded it to a medium category fire by 12.40 pm and called for more vehicles and manpower,” he said, adding that a total of 26 fire tenders were deployed at the spot.

The fire engulfed over 800 densely packed shanties spread across around five acres. Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky as firefighters battled the flames.

"It took more than three hours to douse the flames completely. The cooling operation is still underway. The bodies of two children were recovered and immediately sent to a nearby hospital," the DFS official said. "The fire is now completely under control. Cooling operations are in progress," he said.

Hurdles in firefighting

According to DFS, the fire started from one of the huts and immediately engulfed the entire area. The official explained that firefighters faced significant hurdles due to the location. "There is an apartment complex with boundary walls in front of the affected area, making access extremely difficult. Fire engines had to be lined up one behind the other, delaying the operation," he said.

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Police will investigate the exact cause of the fire, he told PTI. Preliminary inputs suggest the fire could have been triggered within the cluster itself, he said, adding that there are no organised electrical wiring systems in the area but several LPG cylinders were found, which could have contributed to the spread of the fire.

Nadda speaks to CM

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister and BJP chief JP Nadda spoke to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva. He asked them to provide immediate assistance to the victim of the Rohini fire incident. He also asked Sachdeva to involve the party workers to provide assistance.

(With agency inputs)