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Massive fire breaks out in Delhi container depot

Last Updated 10 April 2010, 18:58 IST

The blaze started at around 5 am but the fire brigade was informed around 5:45 am. The fire quickly spread to around 30 containers storing clothes and tyres at the depot in Tuglaqabad, which is the largest dry port in South Asia.Delhi Fire Services Director R C Sharma said there was a delay of 45 minutes in reporting the matter to fire brigade.
“The fire spread rapidly. By the time we reached, a portion of the roof had collapsed,” Sharma said.

Thirty-two fire tenders were rushed to the spot and it took around five hours to douse the flames.While there were no casualties, the losses would be enormous with Delhi Exporters Association claiming that material worth Rs 100 crore were gutted. However, there was no official confirmation on this.

The Inland Container Depot (ICD), as it is officially known, is spread over 60 hectares in Tughlaqabad.The reason for the fire is not known, said the official, adding that the flames destroyed 24 of the 25 warehouses storing goods meant for export.

The fire led to a huge traffic jam on the road linking Mehrauli and Badarpur.
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) said that handicrafts products worth over Rs 60 crore were reduced to ashes in the fire. “The ICD is always congested, as more than 400 containers of goods are stored there against the capacity of just 200,” EPCH Chairman Raj Kumar Malhotra said.  Short-circuit is suspected to the cause of fire, he said adding, 2,500 shipments were affected due to the incident.

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(Published 10 April 2010, 08:31 IST)

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