Massive fire at Shastri Park market

Delhi Fire Services sent 25 fire tenders to a furniture market near Seelampur Metro station after a fire broke out in northeast Delhi’s Shastri Park late on Friday, officials said. The blaze spread through multiple shops operating under tin sheds and storing furniture and adhesives, according to fire officials. A fire department officer was injured during the operation, and police said some locals pelted stones at a fire tender after alleging a delay in the response. The firefighting operation continued until early morning on Saturday, officials said. ### When did the fire start, and how did the response unfold? Delhi Fire Services said its control room received a call about the blaze at 11:57 p.m. on Friday. Six fire tenders were sent first, and more vehicles were added as the fire spread in the congested market, a senior DFS officer told Hindustan Times. The officer said the presence of inflammable material, including furniture and adhesives, helped the flames move quickly through the market. (hindustantimes.com) Around 25 fire tenders were eventually deployed, according to police and fire officials cited by Hindustan Times. PTI, as carried by The Hindu, also reported that firefighting continued through the night and that no deaths had been reported. ### How was the fire officer injured? A Delhi Fire Services officer was injured after the tin shed of a shop collapsed while he was standing on it during the operation, Hindustan Times reported, citing a senior DFS officer. (hindustantimes.com) The report identified the injured official as fire station officer Anoop Singh. The injury came as crews were trying to contain the fire in a tightly packed market area. (hindustantimes.com) Officials have not reported any other injuries or fatalities so far. ### Why did stone pelting break out at the site? Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Lamba said police rushed personnel to the spot after being informed about the fire and the unrest. (hindustantimes.com) Lamba told Hindustan Times that extra force was sent “to prevent the public from stone pelting and avoid any law and order situation,” and said the incident was brief and quickly brought under control. Locals alleged that fire trucks arrived late, according to officials cited by Hindustan Times and PTI reports carried by other outlets. Hindustan Times reported that a fire tender’s windshield glass was damaged. Some reports citing ANI said residents complained that too few tenders reached initially, though DFS said six were dispatched after the first call. (hindustantimes.com) ### How extensive was the damage? Shastri Park’s furniture market suffered heavy losses because the shops were stocked with wood-based goods and other combustible material, officials said. PTI reported losses worth lakhs of rupees, though authorities had not released a formal damage estimate by Saturday. Some outlets reported that the number of damaged shops ran into the dozens, while India TV said nearly 300 shops were destroyed. (hindustantimes.com) That higher figure could not be independently verified from police or Delhi Fire Services statements available on Saturday. ### What has been confirmed, and what remains unclear? Hindustan Times reported that a video of the stone pelting circulated on social media, but said it could not independently verify the clip’s authenticity. (tribuneindia.com) Police said nobody was injured in the stone pelting itself. The cause of the fire remained under investigation on May 23. (indiatvnews.com) Delhi Fire Services and Delhi Police had not publicly identified what sparked the blaze, and officials had not announced any arrests related to the stone pelting in the reports reviewed. May 23 is the key next marker in the case because that is when police and fire officials said the investigation into the cause was continuing. (hindustantimes.com) Any formal account of losses, shop counts or criminal action is expected to come from Delhi Fire Services or northeast district police after that inquiry.