Gaffar Market is a place where people go to buy phone cases, chargers and cheap electronics, and it’s packed even on an ordinary day. This week, it’s packed with Diwali shoppers. That’s why the images from Friday morning, flames on every floor of one building, have landed hard.
Police say they got the first call around 1:28 am. A night team and the station house officer found a fire at shop 13/21 in Puri Plaza, a four-storey commercial building that deals in mobile accessories. Preliminary information says it began in a ground-floor shop where mobile batteries were stored, then spread to every floor.
Reports say 27 fire tenders and about 125 personnel were used in total. Other outlets count 22 or “20 to 25” vehicles, which usually reflects when each report was filed. The narrow lanes made things harder, according to NewsX, with fire engines struggling to reach the affected areas.
One detail doesn’t line up. National Herald quotes fire officer Deepak Hooda saying the department got a call around 5:50 am, which doesn’t match the police’s 1:28 am figure. I haven’t been able to explain the gap. It may be a different call, or a misprint.
The count of shops is the biggest disagreement. Divisional Officer Mukesh Verma of the Delhi Fire Service said about 40 to 45 shops were affected and the fire was completely under control. NewsX said over 100 shops were feared damaged. A BJP MP said 20 to 25 may have been hit, according to a headline in The Hawk.
I’d go with the fire service’s number for now, since it’s an official count from someone at the scene. But a final assessment will take time, and it will probably be higher once traders count stock and inventory in neighbouring buildings.
Nothing is confirmed. Officials suspect overheating or overcharging of batteries, and technical and forensic examinations will determine the cause. Reports from the Fire Department and the Electrical Inspector will be sought. A battery-related fire fits what early reports describe, since the shop dealt in them, but “prima facie” is as far as anyone has gone.
The politics started before the smoke cleared. The Confederation of All India Traders called for round-the-clock fire engines and a ₹100 crore fire assistance fund for Delhi markets, and Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh asked for fire audits. NDTV reports two key demands covering 20 markets. Rediff’s headline put it bluntly: Delhi has no safety, and a building collapse had come only days earlier.
Officials responded quickly, at least on the surface. The India Gazette reports Chief Minister Rekha Gupta asked about the affected shops, and that the Municipal Corporation would evacuate buildings. The News Mill says the North West Delhi MP promised compensation. I haven’t seen a formal announcement of a relief scheme.
Three questions matter now. First, what do the fire and electrical reports find? Second, did Puri Plaza and the neighbouring buildings have valid fire clearances? I haven’t seen anyone answer that. Third, will the trade bodies’ demands become policy, or just a headline?
Fire safety in Delhi’s old markets is an old problem, and incidents tend to bring promises right before a festival. The test is what’s still being done in January.
