: Many people were rendered homeless when nearly 700 jhuggis in north-west Delhi’s Rithala were gutted in a fire that broke out in the wee hours of Monday.
The police said nobody was injured in the incident.
A fire services officer said they received a call about the fire at 12.35 a.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
Help
“Twenty-one fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was controlled by 6.15 a.m.,” he said.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been ascertained yet, said the officer. “The area is inhabited by junk dealers, and there were plastic, bottles, cardboard kept there. It is suspected that the fire started from the junk matter,” said a senior police officer.
ADVERTISEMENT
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited the area and met the people whose jhuggis had been ravaged.
Compensation to victims
“The Deputy Chief Minister has directed the Revenue Department to give compensation to the victims,” said a senior Delhi Government official.
A case under relevant sections has been registered and further investigation is underway, the police said.—PTI