A significant fire erupted at the malkhana parking area of the New Ashok Nagar police station in east Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in the destruction of more than 140 seized vehicles. The incident triggered multiple explosions during the firefighting operation, though no injuries or casualties were reported.
Incident Details
The fire was first noticed around 1 PM in the lawn area where seized vehicles were parked. Police station staff immediately attempted to extinguish the flames while simultaneously informing the fire department. Ten fire tenders and approximately 50 firefighters were deployed to combat the blaze, which took nearly one and a half hours to bring under control, finally being extinguished around 2:20 PM.
Challenges Faced by Firefighters
Senior fire officials described the operation as extremely challenging due to strong winds, which heightened the risk of the fire spreading to nearby structures. Assistant Divisional Officer Rajesh Kumar Shukla noted that the primary challenge was preventing the flames from reaching the residential police quarters and a school adjacent to the police station. The flames had already reached water tanks located on the terrace of the police station.
Damage Assessment
Firefighters reported hearing multiple explosions as several vehicles caught fire. An officer confirmed that over 140 vehicles were damaged, including 58 cars, three tempos, one oil tanker, four autos, five e-rickshaws, 50 motorcycles, and around 20 cycle-rickshaws. Most of these vehicles were parked within the 500-square-yard malkhana area.
Preliminary Investigation
According to a police officer, the preliminary inquiry suggests that the fire originated from the case property vehicles parked in the parking area. This incident echoes a similar massive fire that occurred in April of the previous year at Delhi Police’s Wazirabad malkhana, where over 300 seized vehicles were gutted. That location experienced multiple similar fires throughout the year.
Response and Aftermath
The firefighting operation was conducted efficiently, with no loss of life or injuries reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and authorities are assessing the full extent of the damage. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the storage and safety of seized vehicles in police facilities across Delhi.
