A major godown fire in Vasundhara Enclave, East Delhi, sent thick black smoke across the area on Sunday, forced residents of nearby houses to evacuate and injured a firefighter, while operations at the neighbouring Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital remained unaffected.
More than 25 fire tenders and between 80 and 100 personnel were deployed to battle the blaze at the godown, which stood on an 800-square-yard plot and was rented to three people. Police said the fire was brought under control after around seven hours, although it had not been completely extinguished until late at night.
The fire broke out near the hospital and produced a plume visible from more than 10 kilometres away. The hospital said its premises and operations were unaffected and that all patients were safe. “There is no requirement to shift or evacuate any patient,” the hospital said in a statement.
The godown was structurally weak and collapsed from the middle as the firefighting operation continued, according to a fire services officer. The collapse restricted access to the blaze, with firefighters able to approach it only from the front. The officer said crews had to clear fallen debris before they could continue extinguishing the flames.
A firefighter, Sunil Sagar, was taken to another hospital for treatment after suffering smoke inhalation. The incident also forced workers at the godown to abandon their initial attempt to control the fire. Md Sahil, 20, who was loading scrap into a truck, said workers used water and a fire extinguisher before retreating as the fire intensified.
Local residents tried to remove material from the premises as the flames spread. Rakesh Kashyap, 38, said several people managed to retrieve plywood and other goods, but most of the material stored inside was believed to have been destroyed. Ramvir Singh, who lives next to the godown, said smoke entered several houses as flames rose above the structure.
The incident has raised concerns among residents about the presence of godowns and scrap businesses in the densely populated neighbourhood. One resident, Mohit, said a fire had broken out at the same location in 2016. Police, however, said they were not aware of any such earlier incident.
The site remained cordoned off while fire personnel worked to clear the collapsed debris and extinguish the remaining flames. The hospital’s statement confirmed that patient evacuation was not required, while the fire services continued operations at the godown late into the night.
