Residents of Okhla woke up on Thursday to the news of a massive fire that broke out in a residential building in Shaheen Bagh. No casualty has been reported as of now, the police affirmed.
According to reports, the fire started in a building located at Jagan Pati, Nisar Apartment, in Shaheen Bagh, severely damaging a large portion of the structure. Three to four cars parked nearby were also destroyed.
The blaze was reported at 2.30 am, said a resident, adding it was controlled after more than two hours with fire brigade and local police officials turning up at the location.
Eight fire tenders were dispatched to the site to control the blaze.
A neighbour, Maqsood Alam, confirmed that while no injuries were reported, the damage was extensive. “Many items around my building were also damaged due to the fire,” he said.
The blaze was controlled after 2 hours.
The building is a ground-plus-four-floor structure with stilt parking. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, and further investigation is underway.
Residents said they were fortunate that no one was injured in the massive fire. The blaze broke out late Thursday night, just a few days after a similar incident was reported at a factory outlet in Shaheen Bagh, where a showroom was completely gutted.
In that previous incident as well, fire brigade teams were rushed to the spot and managed to bring the fire under control after hours of effort. Eyewitnesses described the fire as enormous with smoke rising so high it was visible from a distance. Fortunately, there were no injuries in that case either.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but a fire department official suspects it may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit or faulty wiring in the building.
Alam said the fire on Thursday was so intense that items in his house were damaged by the smoke. “Just look—my newly painted walls are now covered in black soot,” he said. “Thankfully, nothing worse happened, and we prayed that no harm would come to anyone.”
Though the exact cause of the fire remains unknown in this case as well, many residents have urged extra precautions during the summer, as the increased use of electrical appliances like air conditioners puts additional load on the system, often leading to power tripping in other parts of the city.
Activist Syed Azeem Fozul, also known as Arshi, told OT that just a year ago, three popular restaurants in Shaheen Bagh, along with two shops and several flats, were gutted after a massive fire broke out.
“Even then, residents were fortunate that no casualties were reported in the incident, which occurred on 40 Feet Road—an area lined with eateries. At that time too, I had urged residents to stay vigilant and prepare for the intense summer heat in Delhi. Extra precautions are necessary, and all electrical work should be properly maintained. If possible, residents should have their wiring inspected by trained electricians to prevent fires caused by short circuits or power tripping,” he said.
According to Delhi Fire Service (DFS) then, the fire started in the electrical wires and then spread to the restaurant.
