At least two children tragically lost their lives after a massive fire broke out in a jhuggi cluster near Shri Niketan Apartment in Sector 17 of Rohini, Delhi, on Sunday.
The fire, which also left several others injured, ravaged over 800 shanties in the area. The flames were brought under control after nearly three hours of intense firefighting efforts, although cooling operations continued at the scene.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini), Amit Goel, confirmed that the bodies of two children, a two-and-a-half-year-old and a three-year-old, were recovered from the charred remains of the cluster. According to officials, the fire was reported around 11:55 am, prompting the dispatch of over 20 fire tenders to the site.
"We received a call about the fire near Sriniketan Apartment in Sector 17. Initially, we sent 17 fire engines, but as the fire escalated, we upgraded it to a medium category fire by 12:40 pm and called in additional vehicles and manpower," said a fire official. By the time the situation was contained, a total of 26 fire tenders were deployed to the site.
Thick black smoke billowed from the area as firefighters battled to extinguish the flames. The fire quickly spread, engulfing over 800 densely packed shanties, burning everything from household goods to rickshaws. Visuals from the scene showed the extensive damage caused by the blaze.
"It took more than three hours to douse the flames completely. Cooling operations are still in progress. The bodies of the two children were recovered and sent to a nearby hospital immediately," a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official confirmed.
Authorities mentioned that the location of the fire posed significant challenges for firefighting operations. A boundary wall around the affected area, near an apartment complex, made access difficult, forcing fire engines to line up one behind the other, which delayed the response.
The police are investigating the cause of the fire, with preliminary reports suggesting that it may have originated within the cluster itself. There were no organised electrical wiring systems in the area, but several LPG cylinders were found, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Search and cooling operations are ongoing.
In a separate incident, a fire broke out in a forest area near the ITO area of Delhi in the afternoon. Delhi Fire Services officials reported that no casualties were reported in this fire. Geeta Colony fire station sub-officer Bhimsen mentioned that they received the fire alert at 12:07 pm and dispatched three vehicles to the site, successfully bringing the blaze under control.
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded its highest April temperature in three years on Saturday, reaching 42.1°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The weather agency has forecast further temperature rises in the coming days.
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