At least 40 shops were gutted in a fire that broke out in a cloth shop on Monday night in the Moti Bazaar area of Chandni Chowk in Delhi, reported Hindustan Times. No casualties were reported, but goods worth crores of rupees are believed to have been destroyed.
As many as 29 fire tenders were called in, PTI reported. The police have started an investigation, but do not yet know what caused the fire.
“This is not a residential area, so people had left after closing the shops, otherwise there would have been deaths here,” a local councillor Ravi Kaptan told Hindustan Times. He also said that a three-storey building had collapsed and it may have hindered the firefighting operations, which went on for several hours.
Meanwhile, Chandni Chowk MLA, Aam Aadmi Party’s Alka Lamba stirred controversy after she was seen climbing on top of a hydraulic lift and was accused of hampering the firefighting operations. “It was a photo op,” said Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson RP Singh. “You can’t help them, they can do their job,” he said according to News18.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!