New Delhi: A major fire broke out at Nature Bazaar, a handicrafts market at Andheria Mor in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur, early on Sunday morning, gutting around 40 to 50 shops. No one was injured.A large number of exhibits like carpets and home decorative items were destroyed. An initial estimate by Dastkar, an NGO that runs the bazaar, pegged losses between Rs 10 crore and Rs 20 crore.The exact amount is being assessed, said DCP (south) Anant Mittal.The blaze was massive, leading to the deployment of 10 fire tenders and around 60 firefighters. Locals also pitched in. “No one was trapped, but the fire spread rapidly,” police said, adding that they had been alerted about it at 7.33 am. It took nearly one and a half hours to bring the fire under control. Its probable cause, according to three night guards who were at the market at the time, was short circuit.An office-bearer of the NGO, said that out of 130 stalls, 42 were gutted. “Most of them were full of textile products, such as garments and carpets, while others had furniture and a variety of handicraft items,” he said.The stalls included one showcasing Afghan products, run by Afghan nationals, and others representing multiple states across India, such as Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir. Several owners had substantial stocks, including pashmina shawls, carpets and ethnic Afghan garments, all of which are expensive, he said, adding that the market, which has been operational since 2012, suffered damage as well.Proper fire-fighting arrangements were reportedly in place, and all the stalls were closed at that time. The night guards said they had heard a loud noise akin to a blast and rushed to the spot. Within seconds, the blaze engulfed everything, they said. The guards tried to douse it with extinguishers, but in vain. The fire department was alerted. Firefighters reportedly arrived about an hour later.“Everything was closed at that time, and there was rain and lightning. We have no idea what sparked the blaze,” the staffer of the NGO said.Speaking to TOI, Raminder Kaur, who owns a handicrafts shop, said it was severely damaged, and that many other stall owners also suffered significant losses. “I have run this shop since 2013. It was the primary source of livelihood for my family. Now, everything is completely destroyed,” she said.Naveen Kumar, who owns a garment shop in the market, said he received a call around 7 am, and by the time he reached the spot, everything had been gutted. “Our stocks are gone. We hope govt will provide some assistance. The locals helped a lot; otherwise, the damage could have been worse. A timely announcement from the adjoining mosque and help from the locals were crucial in managing the situation,” he said.
