Dilli Haat evacuated after huge blaze; 30 stalls gutted

A massive blaze broke out at Dilli Haat in INA Market on Wednesday night, gutting around 30 stalls and shops at a time when the popular open-air market was bustling with hundreds of shoppers.

- Jignasa Sinha

NEW DELHI:

While no casualties were reported, the fire caused extensive damage to handloom, handicraft, and food stalls.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) deployed more than 14 fire tenders to control the blaze.

According to officials, the fire started behind a row of shops and quickly spread across the market, creating chaos as panicked visitors and shopkeepers scrambled to evacuate.

Spread over six acres, Dilli Haat is one of Delhi's best-known tourist destinations, featuring 166 stalls and restaurants run by artisans and craftspeople from across the country. According to the Delhi Tourism Department, the market sees an estimated daily footfall of around 150,000 people.

DFS received the first call about the incident at 8.55pm.