FIRE PREVENTION FIRST, SAFE EXIT NEXT

Fire tragedies can be brutal and the best of fire protection can fail at the 11th hour. Hence the focus must be first on fire prevention and second on easy exit and escape in case it still occurs. The fire at the Bhagirath Palace market in Chandni Chowk continued to rage for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday even after the engagement of more than 150 fire tenders since its outbreak, officials said. Nine fire tenders were still present at the spot at the time of writing this. 

“More than 200 shops have been damaged in the massive fire that broke out in the wholesale market for electrical appliances on Thursday night,” officials said. "Around 150 fire tenders have been engaged till now, nine of them are still at the spot. Around 200 shops have been affected and while five building have been completely or partially burnt, three have collapsed," a senior fire department official said.

A case under IPC sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) was registered against unknown people, the official said.

The fire was brought under control by Friday morning but while the cooling process was still underway, the blaze reignited again and turned massive by the evening.

The area's narrow lanes and shortage of water posed a major challenge for the firefighters.