Fire destroys six godowns, four shops

Six transport godowns, four shops and four trucks were burnt in a fire that broke out at a transport centre in west Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh on Wednesday afternoon. A man sustained minor burns.

According to police, a parked truck first caught fire in Transport Nagar near Punjabi Bagh Metro station and the flames spread in the area. The truck was carrying a chemical called vinyl alcohol.

“Three other trucks near it also caught fire. The trucks were parked near a building, where the six godowns and four shops were located. They also caught fire,” said a police officer.
The incident took place at 12.30 pm and eyewitnesses claimed that the fire brigade took an hour to reach the spot.

The fire department, however, said the incident was reported to them at 1.30 pm after which 20 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

“It took around two hours to control the blaze,” a fire officer added.

Traffic on Ring Road was diverted and people were also told to evacuate the area as police and fire officers feared explosions in the trucks.

The trucks were parked on a service lane due to which traffic was allowed soon after the fire was brought under control.

Vinyl alcohol is used in papermaking, textiles and a variety of coatings.

“It is sometimes supplied as beads or as solutions in water,” the fire officer said.