Two children die as major fire engulfs jhuggi cluster in Rohini

Two children died and five persons suffered injuries after a massive fire broke out at a jhuggi cluster in the Rohini area here on Sunday morning. Over 800 shanties were also reduced to ashes in the incident, leaving hundreds of families homeless.

The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a distress call around 11:55 am on Sunday. After getting information, 20 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. As the blaze intensified, the response was scaled up to a medium-category fire and more vehicles were called. A total of 26 fire tenders were deployed at the spot, DFS officials said.

Thick clouds of smoke billowed over the five-acre settlement as firefighters battled the flames, hampered by narrow access points and the densely packed area.

“It took over three hours to bring the fire under control,” said a DFS official. During the operation, charred bodies of two children – a two-and-a-half year-old and a three-year-old – were recovered from the debris. The bodies were sent to a nearby hospital, officials said.

A senior Fire Department official said the fire might have started from one of the huts before quickly engulfing the entire area. “Police and fire service teams were deployed. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but preliminary inputs indicate the fire could have been fueled by LPG cylinders and lack of organised electrical wiring in the settlement,” he said.

Access to the site proved challenging. “There is an apartment complex with boundary walls blocking direct entry, forcing us to line up fire engines one behind the other. This delayed firefighting operations,” a DFS official explained. Cooling operation was on at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said: “The death of two children in the fire is extremely painful. I appeal to all local karyakartas to fully cooperate with the administration in the relief and rescue efforts”.

Govt taking all necessary measures: CM

Taking to X, CM Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Government is taking all necessary measures to support the victims. Local MLA and the SDM immediately reached the site to coordinate relief efforts, including the provision of mobile toilets, medical assistance & food for the affected residents. Displaced families are being shifted to nearby schools where temporary shelters and all essential facilities are being arranged for their well-being.

Delhi