North Delhi: Fire at Burari warehouse raises questions on commercial property in residential area

Panic gripped the residents of the densely-populated Tomar Colony in North Delhi's Burari as a massive fire broke out in a cloth warehouse in the wee hours of Wednesday. The main fire was contained in five hours since the incident that took place around 3:30 am. Fire tenders continued their operations well into the afternoon in a few spots in the basement of the warehouse.

"We were alarmed by a neighbour's call as my daughter and I had been sleeping when the fire started. Immediately, we rushed out to the road downstairs where many other neighbours had also gathered by then. The fire looked deadly as we could see huge plumes of smoke going up for hours," said a panic-stricken Kusum Kumari who lives in a building adjacent to the warehouse.

Balak Ram, another person living close to the warehouse, said that the fire had started on the first floor of the and soon spread to the other two floors.

"There was no security guard present on night duty inside the warehouse complex. So that possibly helped the fire to spread for more than an hour before anyone could know about it. Fire engines could arrive only around 5:30 am," said Balak Ram.

According to workers from fire engines present at the spot, the location of the warehouse posed a challenge and slowed down their operations. "It is situated in a narrow lane where we cannot take our engines in. So, we are working from a distance. More than thirty engines have come so far and yet we are not being able to douse the blaze completely," remarked a fireman.

The police said that they had taken the matter seriously and would begin investigation once the fire was brought under control. "The owner of the cloth warehouse will be questioned and the legal status of his business will be examined. If required, we will take strict action against all such warehouses in the area," said a senior police official from the Burari Police Station.

Meanwhile, residents and shop owners in the area began questioning the presence of the warehouse in a residential locality.

"Thankfully, the fire was limited to the warehouse only. But it could have engulfed the adjacent houses, too. The warehouse should not be allowed here," said Mohit Goyal, a local.

Aman Khan, who owns a shop near the warehouse, concurred with Goyal's views. "When I arrived in the morning, I was scared to see the fire as my shop stands just across the road from the warehouse. There are a couple of more godowns here. All of them should be shifted from this area immediately," he added.