Delhi: Fire at Bhagirath Palace market in Chandni Chowk doused, no casualties reported

New Delhi: A major fire, which broke out in a godown at an electrical market in central Delhi's congested Chandni Chowk area on Thursday evening, has been doused. The blaze erupted at Bhagirath Palace market at around 5.10 pm and 22 fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot.

Bhagirath Palace is a hub of electrical and electronic shops in Old Delhi. A short circuit is suspected to be responsible for the fire.

There was no immediate report of any casualty or injury in the blaze, fire brigade officials said. Delhi Fire Services Director AK Sharma said they have no information about anyone being trapped inside the building. He refused to speculate on the cause of the fire.

The blaze erupted at Bhagirath Palace market at around 5.10 pm and 22 fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot.

Rescue workers evacuated people and barricaded the area to ensure smooth fire-fighting operations. However, congested lanes in the locality hindered fire fighters. "The fire broke out in a godown of electrical items. It is a 200 square yard godown. There were lot of inflammable plastic and PVC material. The structure is depleted due to age. It might have developed cracks. There is all the possibility that the structure may collapse.

"We are not able to enter the building as there is a huge fire and there is a fear that the building may collapse. We are trying to prevent the fire from spreading," Sharma said.

Power supply to the area has been snapped as a precaution. Taj Hassan, Joint Commissioner of Police (Central), said the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes and there was "no cause for worry" as the response of the fire brigade was "very good".

(With additional information from PTI)

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)