Massive fire burns down 1000 shanties in Delhi, 2 children killed

A devastating fire broke out near Shri Niketan Apartments in Delhi’s Rohini Sector 17 on Sunday, claiming the lives of two children and destroying between 800 and 1,000 jhuggis. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) rushed 20 fire tenders to the scene after receiving a distress call at 11:55 am reporting thick plumes of smoke rising from the slum cluster.

Despite the rapid deployment of fire tenders, the flames spread quickly, fueled possibly by petroleum cylinders inside the jhuggis. Fire officials confirmed that the bodies of two children, aged between 3 and 4 years, were found at around 2:05 pm. The identities of the children have not yet been determined, and authorities are still searching for other possible missing persons.

By 3:20 pm, most of the fire had been brought under control and cooling operations began. Officials stated that while the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, preliminary reports suggest that the blaze may have started in one jhuggi and rapidly engulfed the rest.

Video footage from the site showed charred trees and destroyed homes at the entrance to the jhuggi area, with firefighters continuing their efforts to cool down hotspots. The incident has left hundreds of families displaced, with their homes and belongings turned to ashes within hours.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a fire broke out in a forested area between Laxmi Nagar and ITO. The fire was reported around 12:08 pm, and while it caused some damage to vegetation, no casualties or injuries were reported. Three fire tenders were dispatched to douse the blaze in the Shakarpur police station area.

Authorities have assured that detailed investigations are underway to ascertain the exact cause of both fires and preventive measures will be discussed to avoid such tragedies in the future.