A fire at an illegal wood godown in East Delhi’s Dallupura village forced the evacuation of about 1,500 people on Sunday after four LPG cylinders exploded inside the premises. Thirty fire engines were deployed and the blaze was brought under control at about 9.35pm, while a search operation was planned to confirm that no one remained inside.
The fire broke out at around 3.30pm at a godown spread across about 800 square yards in an unplanned area of Dallupura. The premises operated under a tin shed and had reportedly been running as a wood storage facility for about six months. Around 10 workers were employed there, and the report said they also stayed and cooked at the site.
The godown contained wood, PVC material and thinner chemicals, which made firefighting difficult. The Delhi Fire Services initially sent 10 vehicles after receiving the alert, followed by another 20 vehicles as the blaze intensified. Four LPG cylinders exploded one after another, increasing the intensity of the fire.
Smoke from the fire was visible from Noida and Sahibabad, about five kilometres away, according to the report. Residents in the surrounding neighbourhood complained of breathing difficulty and eye irritation. People also removed LPG cylinders from nearby homes to prevent the fire from spreading. Police and Civil Defence volunteers broke open locks at some rooms in adjoining houses and removed cylinders kept inside.
The fire occurred in a residential village where several illegal godowns are reportedly operating among homes. Many of the adjoining buildings are occupied by tenants. Residents were moved out with their belongings and remained on the roads while firefighting operations continued. The police did not allow them to return immediately because of the continuing risk from the fire and stored materials.
A station officer of the fire department became unconscious during the operation and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. East Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajiv Kumar said no loss of life had been reported and that a search operation would be conducted after the fire was extinguished to check whether anyone was trapped inside.
Local residents told the newspaper that the premises had earlier operated as a scrap godown and had caught fire about a year ago. They said the scrap facility was shut after that incident and a wood godown was established at the site around six months ago. Residents alleged that unauthorised godowns were operating in the village despite the risks to surrounding households.
The property owner was identified as Dharmaraj, while Kailash, Manoj and Deepak Gupta were named as the tenants of the godown. The immediate official next step is the post-fire search of the premises and assessment of the site after cooling and access operations are completed.
