New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) A massive fire broke out in a slum cluster located behind Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College in the Balmiki Basti area of Takia Kale Khan, destroying at least 30 huts and a large quantity of plywood, timber, and other combustible materials, officials said on Tuesday.

They said that despite the intensity of the blaze, no casualties or injuries were reported due to the swift response of emergency services and police personnel.

According to officials, a PCR call regarding the fire at Takia Kale Khan Gadda was received at around 11:32 p.m. on Monday. Immediately after the information was received, local police teams rushed to the spot to assess the situation and initiate rescue and evacuation operations.

The response team included Station House Officer Inspector Naresh Kumar, Inspector Ishwar Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police Jata Shankar, In-Charge Police Post Sub-Inspector Vikram Paul, Assistant Sub-Inspector Rajkumar, Head Constables Amit, Manoj and Ranvijay, along with Constables Dinesh, Koshinder, Rahul, Brijpal, Pankaj, Ravinder and Kailash. Personnel from X-Ray-1 and X-Ray-2 units also joined the operation.

Upon reaching the location, the police found that a major fire had engulfed a large stockpile of old furniture, timber, plywood, and other highly combustible materials stored there. The flames spread rapidly, posing a serious threat to nearby huts and residents living in the densely populated settlement.

Police personnel immediately launched an evacuation drive and alerted local residents about the risk posed by the rapidly spreading fire. Officials said that despite resistance from some residents who were reluctant to leave their homes and belongings behind, the police continued their efforts to move people to safer locations.

Through prompt intervention, police teams successfully evacuated the entire vulnerable area and safely rescued 12 people, including members of several families, before the fire could spread further and endanger more lives.

Simultaneously, information about the incident was conveyed to the Fire Department, BSES, and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), all of which responded swiftly and deployed emergency resources to the site.

Officials said that a total of 20 fire tenders were pressed into service to tackle the blaze, while nine CATS ambulances were stationed at the location as a precautionary measure to provide immediate medical assistance in case of any emergency.

Additional reserve police personnel also arrived at the scene and assisted in evacuation efforts, crowd control measures, and maintaining clear access routes for fire tenders, ambulances, and other emergency response vehicles.

Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly three hours before finally bringing it completely under control. The operation continued through the night as teams worked to prevent any possibility of the fire reigniting and to ensure the safety of residents.

Officials credited the coordinated response of the Delhi Police, Fire Department, disaster management authorities, and other emergency agencies for preventing what could have turned into a major tragedy.

According to authorities, the timely evacuation of residents, rapid deployment of firefighting resources, and effective coordination among all agencies ensured that there was no loss of life and no injuries despite the scale of the fire and the extensive damage caused to property.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, and further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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