A massive fire ripped through a slumin north-west Delhi’s Rohini on Sunday, destroying over 800 shanties across five acres and leaving at least two children dead and five others injured, a Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said.
The blaze was reported around 11.55 a.m. near Sriniketan Apartment in Sector 17. “We immediately dispatched 17 fire engines to the site. Given the intensity of the blaze, we upgraded it to a medium-category fire by 12.40 p.m. and deployed additionalvehicles and personnel,” the DFS official said, adding that 26 fire tenders were involved in the operation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Amit Goel told that the charred bodies of two children — a two-and-a-half-year-old and a three-year-old — were recovered from the scene.
“It took more than three hours to bring the fire under control. The cooling operation is still going on. The children’s bodies were immediately sent to a nearby hospital,” Mr. Goel said.
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, preliminary reports suggest it originated from one of the huts and quickly spread across the densely populated settlement.
“The area lacked an organised electrical wiring system, but several LPG cylinders were found, which may have fuelled the blaze,” the official added.
Firefighters faced challenges accessing the site due to an apartment complex with boundary walls blocking direct entry. “Fire engines had to be lined up one after another, which delayed firefighting efforts,” the official said.
Multiple police and fire brigade teams were sent to the scene and are currently investigating the incident.
Leader of the Opposition Atishi said, “Two children lost their lives. What was CM Rekha Gupta doing? Listening to ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Forget about going to Rohini, she did not even tweet about it.”
