Massive fire guts furniture market in Shastri Park

A massive fire swept through Shastri Park furniture market in northeast Delhi on Friday night, destroying several shops and causing losses worth lakhs, according to Delhi Fire Service officials.

The incident caused no casualties. Firefighters continued operations through the night as flames engulfed rows of furniture shops near the New Seelampur Metro Station. Visuals from the site showed large portions of the market reduced to ashes. According to fire officials, the blaze was first reported around 11.57 pm on Friday and spread rapidly due to highly combustible materials, including wooden furniture and plywood, stored inside the market.

“The fire was later categorised as a medium category blaze. Wooden furniture and plywood were the main combustible materials at the site. Nearly 25-26 fire tenders were deployed to douse the fire,” a DFS official said.

Tension flared during the operation when some locals allegedly hurled stones at fire tenders and firefighting personnel, accusing the authorities of a delayed response. Police assistance was sought around 12:50 am to control the situation, officials said.

The Delhi Fire Service, however, rejected allegations that it delayed its response, maintaining that it dispatched fire tenders immediately after receiving information about the blaze. Traders and residents claimed the delay worsened the damage. Their concerns were heightened by the fact that Bakraid, a peak business period for the market, was approaching.

“The fire broke out around 11.15 pm, and the fire tenders arrived almost an hour later. We do not know how the fire started in the two shops. The entire market has been destroyed, leaving only around 20 shops. Everyone has suffered huge losses. This is our festival time,” a resident said.