Karol Bagh Gaffar Market fire: 22 Tenders control massive blaze at Puri Plaza; second fire hits Laxmi Nagar

A large fire broke out at a store inside Puri Plaza located in the busy Gaffar Market area of Karol Bagh, and emergency services rushed to the area of central Delhi on Thursday.

The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) sent around 22 fire tenders to control the raging fire in Chain Wali Gali, Block 13. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control and save it from spreading to the area heavily populated by businesses. The authorities have confirmed that there have been no injuries or fatalities.

Battery overheating is the suspected cause in Gaffar market

Inspections done by the authorities show that the fire was caused by electrical faults involving in either lithium or lead-acid batteries.

Initial investigation: The fire officials believe that battery overheating or battery overcharging is the cause of the fire.

Technical investigation: The relevant authorities are collecting the technical reports from the Fire Department and the Electrical Inspectorate to find out the real cause of the fire.

Forensic investigation: Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams will carry out inspections of the structure of the building to see if it conforms to safety standards and also see if any unauthorised combustible materials had been stored in the premises.

Another morning fire reported in Laxmi Nagar

The fire at Karol Bagh was reported some four hours after another incident of commercial fire in the Laxmi Nagar area in East Delhi.

Separate early-morning fire reported in Laxmi Nagar

Hours before the Karol Bagh incident, a separate commercial fire broke out in East Delhi's Laxmi Nagar area.

The DFS received an emergency distress call at approximately 5:50 AM regarding a fire in the high-density Mangal Bazar market zone.

"We immediately dispatched four to five fire tenders to the location upon receiving the call," confirmed Fire Officer Deepak Hooda. First responders extinguished the flames quickly, and no injuries were reported.

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