Thousands of people were rendered homeless after a major fire broke out in more than 1,000 jhuggis in Masoodpur area of South Delhi on Friday morning. No casualty was reported but around eight people were injured in the incident. They were administered first-aid and are said to be doing fine. Prima facie, it appears that a cylinder blast in one of the shanties led to the fire. lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung also visited the fire affected area soon after the fire was reported and inspected the relief and rescue operations at the site. A case has been registered under Section 436 of IPC and further investigations are underway
According to the fire department, the incident took place around 8.30 am on Friday. Around 40 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the raging inferno from spreading further. It took more than two hours for the fire tenders to extinguish the fire. Eight people sustained minor fire injuries due to the incident. They were given first-aid treatment and were later discharged. Fifteen ambulances were pressed into service for rescue operations. “As the jhuggis were made of highly combustible material, fire spread very quickly. The area was also used as a dump by its residents as many of them were ragpickers, plastic and other garbage kept by them in an open yard in the area also fuelled the fire,” said AK Sharma, Director of Delhi Fire Service. We have to carry water to the spot from the nearby mall as it was not available at the sight, added Sharma.
The fire not only left the people homeless but bankrupt and debt-ridden as well. The sight at the slum was unbearable with helpless faces all around. People were unable to deal with the fact that their livelihood and savings had disappeared in the smoke. As the ramshackle hutments were very close to each other, the fire spread in time and gave no time to the inhabitants to ferry their belongings to safer places. Several residents were left with just the clothes on their backs.
While several were stranded, most people had taken to roads as their only refuge. Children thronged empty areas and cried as they watched their parents struggle to be safe. One could gauge from the situation that the families had probably watched their life’s only worth valuables go up in flames. “I saw the flames and rushed to the shanty but the flames had shot up. Around three persons along with me tried putting water but all went in vain,” said Ikram-ul-Haq, a resident. Others who had their life savings kept inside their houses were short of words to explain the tragedy. “I work as a garbage picker in the neighbouring colony and was out for work during the time of the incident. I had saved Rs 15,000 and had kept them safely at my house but now I am back to square one,” said Hemant.