Five shops damaged in Chandni Chowk blaze, 17 cars gutted by fire in east Delhi

Five shops were damaged in a fire that broke out in north Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area on Wednesday, officials said.

No injuries were reported, they added.

According to a Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official, the fire affected five shops near Fatehpuri Masjid.

A call about the blaze was received at 3:12 am, and eight fire tenders were deployed. The fire was extinguished by 5 am, the official said.

In a separate incident, 17 cars were gutted by a fire that broke out at a civic authority-run parking lot in east Delhi’s Madhu Vihar area around midnight, the officer added.

Also Read: Delhi sees over 138% spike in fire cases this month compared to May 2023

The incident was reported at 1:17 am, and nine fire tenders were deployed. They controlled the blaze in four hours, with no injuries reported.

The number of fire incidents in the national capital more than doubled in May 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data accessed by Patriot.

According to the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) data, the number of fire calls skyrocketed by 138.5% from 956 in May 2023 to 2,280 in May 2024.

A total of 956 calls were received regarding fire incidents from May 1 to May 20, last year while this year, the department received a total of 2,280 calls during the same period.

Throwing light on the reasons behind such fire incidents, Atul Garg, Director of Delhi Fire Services, said, “In summer, the risk of fire increases significantly as short circuits occur when electrical wires or appliances overheat, leading to sparks or electrical arcs that can ignite nearby flammable materials. During summer months, high temperatures can strain electrical systems, causing wires to become overheated and more prone to short circuits.”

“Last year, we were getting around 160 calls per day. However, in view of the soaring temperature in the city, this year, the number of calls per day increased to 200,” Garg added.

Comparing the data of the first five months of 2023 and 2024 till May 20, in January this year, the number of fire calls increased by 2.8% from 1,171 to 1,204, while total calls decreased slightly by 2.5% from 2,567 to 2,502. (With inputs from PTI)