Over 80 shanties gutted in fire in Delhi's Batla House area

Around 80 'jhuggis' (shanties) in Delhi's Dhobi Ghat near Batla House area were gutted in fire on Tuesday noon.

Fire tenders rushed to the spot.

"Total eight to nine of our vehicle have arrived for fire fighting. Fire has been controlled, only cooling is left," Station Officer, Narendra Singh told ANI, at the site.

One woman and three children were injured in the incident. However, no casualties have been reported yet.

The Station Officer informed that the reason behind the fire will surface after a police investigation is done.

Meanwhile, locals told that short circuit or cooking within someone's home are speculated to be the reason.

While the Station Officer reported 80 shanties to have been damaged, locals claimed the number was between 150 and 200.There were also complaints that the Fire Brigade came after more than an hour after the fire was caught.

"When the fire caught at 11-11:30, it was massive. Despite numerous calls, the fire brigade came after one and half hour," told Mehmood Ahmed, a local resident.

Ahmed said that the fire spread quickly, causing everyone to leave their homes, and now most of them are left with no food or clothing except the one they have on them.

Dhobi Ghat is a slum area situated on the banks of River Yamuna, near Batla House in Jamia Nagar.