Over 50 shanties were gutted in a major fire that broke out in the slums located on the banks of the Yamuna in east Delhi on Sunday afternoon, the police said. No casualties were reported, they added.
A call about fire in jhuggis located on Yamuna Khadar was received around 1.50 p.m., said a Delhi Fire Service officer. The fire was doused by 3.20 p.m.
“Eight tenders were rushed to the spot, along with local police and other teams. It took nearly an hour to douse the fire and the cooling process went on till evening,” the officer said, adding that a crime team visited the spot to investigate the cause of the fire.
Locals protest
The slum residents staged a protest on the Yamuna bridge on ITO for half-an-hour, causing major traffic snarls on ITO to Laxmi Nagar Road. They were removed with the help of reserve police force, said a police officer, adding that smooth flow of traffic resumed a few minutes later.
The residents alleged that a team of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had instructed them to vacate the land in February.
The team had even planted saplings in the area, the locals added.
They added that a team of DDA officers revisited the area on March 16 and threatened the locals with strict action if the land was not vacated soon.
The jhuggi residents suspect the fire was part of a conspiracy to uproot them from the area.
The locals initially prevented fire engines from entering the site but relented after intervention by the local police, said a police officer.
“Some of the locals sustained minor abrasions but no one had to be taken to the hospital. All residents were evacuated timely from the jhuggis. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained,” said a senior police officer.
