New Delhi: A major fire broke out at a mobile accessories shop in Delhi's Gaffar Market early on Friday, spreading across a four-storey commercial building and prompting the deployment of around 22 fire tenders, police said.
No casualties or injuries have been reported, while the fire caused extensive property damage, they said.
Prima facie, overheating or overcharging of batteries appears to be a possible cause of the fire. The exact reason will be established after a detailed examination, police said.
The fire was reported at Puri Plaza at 1.28 am, following which a PCR call was received at Karol Bagh police station, a police officer said.
"The night staff of the police station immediately reached the spot and found the fire at shop number 13/21 in the commercial building, which houses businesses dealing in mobile accessories," the officer said.
According to police, the fire is suspected to have originated in a ground-floor shop where mobile batteries were stored before spreading to the upper floors of the four-storey building.
Around 20 to 25 fire tenders, three Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulances and two PCR vehicles were rushed to the scene to tackle the blaze and assist in the emergency response.
As the fire intensified, additional fire service vehicles were pressed into service. The firefighting operation continued for several hours before the blaze was brought under control and subsequently extinguished, police said.
A report will be obtained from the Delhi Fire Service and the Electrical Inspector to establish the cause of the incident. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team will also examine the building to assess whether any other combustible material was stored there.
Police said further action would be initiated based on the findings of the reports. A structural safety assessment or certificate will also be sought from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to rule out any risk to human life.
"The fire has been extinguished and the situation at the spot is under control, with police personnel deployed to maintain law and order," the officer added.