Fire near metro station kills 1, destroys hundreds of shanties in Rithala

New Delhi: A man died and another was critically injured after a massive fire broke out at a JJ cluster near Rithala metro station in northwest Delhi's Rohini on Friday night. It also destroyed around 500 shanties, leaving thousands homeless.The deceased was identified as Munna Khan, a 32-year-old scrap collector from Bengali Colony. The injured, 40-year-old Rajesh Sheikh, another scrap collector, is receiving treatment.The fire started around 10.45pm on Friday and was brought under control by 9am on Saturday. According to the fire department, 29 fire tenders and nearly 100 firefighters worked at the site, dousing the blaze in around 10 hours. Robots were also sent to assist firefighters.

A fire official said the blaze could have been caused by multiple factors, including a discarded cigarette butt, a short circuit from improperly installed wiring or firecrackers. Police said they were trying to find out the trigger. A case has been registered under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 125(A) (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Budh Vihar police station.

Residents of the affected area, spanning three-four acres, claimed that nearly 500 shanties were reduced to ashes, leaving around 2,500 people homeless, many of whom living there for decades. They described the fire as sudden and terrifying. "It felt like an explosion had occurred," said 52-year-old Joshan. In a video made during the fire, the area resembled a raging furnace.A fire official said firefighters faced several challenges as congested lanes made it difficult to move fire tenders for refilling.

The situation was further complicated by multiple gas cylinder explosions inside shanties. "At least five to six cylinders blasted in the vicinity, intensifying the fire, while we managed to shift a few before they exploded," he said. The official added that the large piles of highly combustible scraps, stored near the shanties, also acted as a catalyst.Firefighters utilised nearby buildings to douse the flames.

"In one building, we went up to the 16th floor to spray water. We also tackled the fire from a housing society of Delhi Jal Board employees," he said.The residents lamented that the blaze engulfed everything they had, including their money. Many were seen searching through the debris, collecting whatever little remains they could find and putting them into plastic sacks. Only a few trees in the area survived."I was looking for my brother when the fire broke out and lost everything I had," said Farida Bibi, sister of the deceased.

They were sleeping when the fire started, she added. The family worked as garbage collectors.Sakuran Bibi, a 55-year-old resident, said she was also asleep and had to leave everything behind to reach a safe place. Hina has also lost all the belongings, including her children's books. The 34-year-old woman was seen appealing to firefighters to help her look for whatever left, so that she could sell them and buy books for her children.Another resident, 58-year-old Dabloo Kumar, said he managed to escape with his 16-year-old daughter. Sabir Ali and a few other residents tried to put out the fire using a plastic water pipe, but had to give up as the flames quickly grew out of control, said one of them. Locals told TOI that similar fires occurred in the area in 2011 and 2016, and families had received compensation after the 2016 fire.