Major blaze destroys factory godown in Delhi, damages school

NEWDELHI: A massive blaze broke out at a godown in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Tuesday evening, the latest in a series of factory fires this year.

No casualty was reported but chief fire officer of the Delhi fire services, Atul Garg, fell unconscious during the firefighting operations. The fire also partially engulfed a school building and a gymnasium, fire officials said.

Fire officers said fire was of the “highest magnitude” this season. Plastic and raw material stored at the factory fuelled the fire.

Delhi Police personnel, Delhi Disaster Management Authority staff and firefighters reached the spot. At least 35 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to contain the blaze. Aam Aadmi Party legislator Somnath Bharti also visited the spot.

Police and DDMA staff made continuous announcements, asking residents to stay inside their houses. All vehicles were removed as precautionary measure.

Speaking to Hindustan Times earlier in the evening, Garg said the fire was reported at their control room at 4.17 pm.

“This fire was of the highest magnitude so far in this season. The fire started from a truck and spread to a godown of rubber and plastic raw material where the vehicle was parked. The godown is right behind Sant Nirankari Public School and had it occurred in the afternoon, evacuation of children would have been challenging as the area is congested,” Garg said. So far, fire fighters had no information of anyone stuck in the building.

Fire chief GC Mishra said the fire might caused a portion of the school building to collapse.

AAP legislator Somnath Bharti said the incident brings to fore his pending demand of a fire station nearby. On whether the godown was being illegally run, Somnath said it is a matter of investigation.

“There’s a chemical factory behind the school. We saw the fire around 4.30 pm and one of the residents called the fire and police. Smoke entered our houses,” said Rajni Kapani, who lives right in front of the godown.

Veenu Mansharamani, another resident, said such godowns next to school building are illegal. “The area is residential and the fire could have easily engulfed houses. The situation could have been worse,” she said.

In another incident, a fire broke out at a ground where vehicles seized by police in south district were stashed in Pushp Vihar. Eight fire tenders, five PCR vans 20 persons from civil defence and one QRT from disaster management , and local police reached the spot and controlled the fire and situation,” deputy commissioner of police (south), Romil Baaniya said.

BLAZE STARTED FROM A TRUCK AND SPREAD TO A GODOWN OF RUBBER AND PLASTIC RAW MATERIAL. CHIEF FIRE OFFICER FELL UNCONSCIOUS DURING FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS