A massive fire broke out at a Kia car showroom in south Delhi’s Saidulajab area on Friday, gutting several vehicles and leaving seven people injured, while around 12-15 others were rescued, an official said.
The fire has been brought under control and a search operation is underway inside the building to ascertain whether anyone else is trapped or if there are any casualties, Deputy Magistrate Lakshya Singhal told PTI.
“Around 3.45 pm, we received information that a Kia showroom opposite the metro station had caught fire. The fire department, police and other agencies were immediately mobilised. The SDM and the SHO also reached the spot,” Singhal said.
Seven people sustained injuries in the incident, of whom four were admitted to MAX Hospital and three to Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital, he said.
Around 12-15 people were rescued from the building, with stairs placed against adjoining buildings to evacuate those trapped on the upper floors. Local residents also helped in the rescue operation, Singhal said.
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“As of now, there have been no casualties. The building is being searched to rule out any casualties,” he said, adding that teams from the fire department, police, revenue department, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), ambulance services and CATS were involved in the operation.
The Delhi Fire Services received a call about the blaze at around 3.47 pm and initially rushed 10 fire tenders to the spot. Several teams of the Delhi Police and fire department were deployed to contain the flames.
Thick plumes of black smoke billowed from the showroom, rising high into the sky and visible from a considerable distance. Several cars parked inside the showroom were engulfed in flames as the fire spread across the premises.
The incident also led to a crowd gathering near the showroom, with several passersby stopping to record the blaze on their mobile phones. A traffic jam-like situation was witnessed on the adjoining road, prompting police personnel to disperse onlookers and facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
