100 shanties gutted in massive fire at slum near Basai Chowk

Around 100 shanties were gutted in a massive fire that broke out at a slum near Basai Chowk on Saturday morning.

Many small and large gas cylinders burst in the fire, causing it to spread rapidly. Witnesses reported smoke billowing out of the slum. More than 15 fire engines were called to the spot, and it took 50 firefighters around 2 hours to control the fire. However, several shanties had been burnt by then. People trapped in the fire were safely evacuated.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt. However, several people living in the shanties have lost valuables in the fire.

According to a fire official, at around 5.30 in the morning, a fire broke in a shanty while someone was cooking. The fire soon spread to other shanties.

Residents immediately called the fire brigade.

After some minutes, four fire tenders and a team of firefighters from the Sector 37 fire station reached the spot, and began firefighting efforts.

Soon after, fire engines from the Bhim Nagar and the Udyog Vihar fire stations arrived to the site of the incident. Police and civil defence teams also reached the area. Police said most residents of the slum were from West Bengal. “There has been no loss of life due to the fire, but some goods were burnt,” said a fire official.