A fire at a boxing-kit warehouse in Delhi’s Swarup Nagar injured six people after smoke spread into a neighbouring building on Sunday, forcing residents, including women and children, to jump from windows to escape. The incident has raised fresh safety concerns about commercial storage activity in a densely populated residential area.
The fire broke out at about 11:05 am on the first floor of a building in Gali Number 2 under the Swarup Nagar police station area. Delhi Fire Service officials sent 15 fire tenders to the site after receiving information about the incident. Firefighters began operations immediately and later brought the blaze under control, according to the report.
Employees present inside the warehouse managed to get out when the fire started. However, thick black smoke entered the building next to the warehouse, leaving residents struggling to breathe and triggering panic. Six people jumped from windows at the rear of the neighbouring building as they tried to escape the smoke.
A senior police officer said the injured included women and children. All six people were taken to Burari Hospital for treatment and were reported to be out of danger. Police are verifying the identities and other details of those injured in the incident.
Witnesses said the fire spread rapidly and smoke filled nearby houses. Local residents also joined the police and fire services in relief and rescue efforts after the emergency was reported. The incident caused injuries during the evacuation as residents attempted to leave buildings affected by the smoke.
Residents expressed anger over the reported operation of a commercial warehouse in the middle of a heavily populated residential locality. They alleged that the warehouse was being run illegally, although the authorities had not, at the time of the report, announced the outcome of any inspection or established whether the premises had violated land-use, fire-safety or building regulations.
The incident places attention on the risks created when storage and commercial activities operate close to homes, particularly where buildings are closely packed and escape routes may be limited. In this case, the immediate danger extended beyond the warehouse itself as smoke entered an adjoining residential building and residents used windows to evacuate.
Police and fire officials are continuing to collect information about the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage. Authorities are also expected to establish the circumstances under which the warehouse was operating and determine whether any regulatory violations contributed to the emergency. The official investigation will establish the cause of the fire and provide further details about the premises and the injured residents.
