Fire breaks out in Delhi hospital

A fire broke out at a hospital in south Delhi’s GK-I on Saturday morning, Delhi Fire Services officials said.

No injuries or casualties were reported, they added.

A call about the blaze was received at 9.07 am after which five fire tenders were rushed to the spot, a senior official said.

The fire broke out at the office and basement of the hospital and the flames were doused by 9:50 am, he said, adding that the cause of the fire is being ascertained.

Last month, around 200 shops were damaged in a massive fire at Bhagirath Palace in Chandni Chowk.

Most of the around 200 shops gutted in fire in the wholesale market dealt with electronic appliances, a senior police officer said, adding a case under IPC sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) has been registered against unknown people.

Traders claimed that they suffered losses of over Rs 400 crore.

According to officials, the narrow lanes and congested area posed a major challenge for them while dousing the fire. Also, there was a shortage of water and the buildings were weak, they said. Five buildings were affected by the blaze and three of them have collapsed, officials said, adding no loss of life or injuries has been reported so far.

According to the fire department, due to a lack of water supply, a remote-controlled machine used in firefighting operations proved to be less effective.

“The narrow bylanes of congested Chandni Chowk made it difficult for the fire tenders to enter the spot. At some places, firefighters were forced to break the barriers which were put up for beautification of Chandni Chowk,” said Atul Garg, the director of Delhi Fire Service.

Another challenge was that the fire tenders had to be parked on the roadside as they could not gain access into the narrow lanes of the blaze-affected spot, he said. While traders suspect short-circuit to be the reason behind the fire, officials said the cause of the blaze is not yet known.

(With PTI inputs)

Follow us on:

Instagram: instagram.com/thepatriot_in/
Twitter: twitter.com/Patriot_Delhi
Facebook: facebook.com/Thepatriotnewsindia