East Delhi Fire: 50 Escape Blaze Engulfing Buildings

A significant fire erupted in east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar in the early hours of Saturday, affecting three buildings that contained 14 residential flats. Approximately 50 individuals managed to escape the conflagration unharmed. The fire is believed to have started from an electrical transformer located on a nearby pole.

Residents first observed sparks around 12:30 am, leading to an immediate alarm and evacuation efforts. The Delhi Fire Service received a call shortly after and dispatched seven tenders, with about 42 firefighters tackling the blaze. The fire was successfully brought under control by 2:30 am.

During the incident, 14 people were rescued by DFS personnel. Residents recounted harrowing escapes, with some waiting on terraces until help arrived. Concerns were raised about the building's single entry-exit point and the proximity of overhead wires, a common feature in the densely networked lanes of the locality.

Allegations surfaced regarding recent maintenance work by BSES and a subsequent failure of safety mechanisms, which residents believe contributed to the fire. BSES, however, stated that the fire was triggered by sparking from an air cooler in a neighboring house and spread through telecom cables. They noted that the power supply tripped immediately as per safety protocols.

Sources within the discom indicated no recent work had compromised the system and an investigation is ongoing. The damaged transformer is slated for reinstallation at the same spot due to space constraints. Firefighters reported minor delays in reaching the site due to incorrect initial addresses and road conditions.