A massive fire swept through the Machhli Mandi slum cluster in Matiala village near Delhi’s Uttam Nagar on the night of March 11, destroying large portions of the settlement and leaving hundreds of migrant families homeless.
According to the Delhi Police, the blaze gutted at least 80 shanties spread across nearly four acres of the densely populated area. Most of the affected residents are migrant workers from Bihar who earn their livelihoods as daily-wage labourers and ragpickers. While no fatalities were reported, the incident has left many families without shelter, food, or basic belongings.
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The fire has created severe difficulties for several households. Many children who were preparing to appear for their board examinations lost their textbooks, uniforms and study materials in the blaze. Several mothers were also left struggling to arrange food and water for their infants after the fire destroyed their meagre supplies.
By morning, the area was covered in thick layers of grey ash stretching across the affected site. Burnt bamboo poles, melted tarpaulin sheets, twisted tin roofing and heaps of charred plastic waste lay scattered across the ground, marking the scale of the destruction.
Some eyewitnesses claimed that unidentified individuals arrived on motorcycles and allegedly set fire to clusters of shanties before fleeing the scene. Authorities are expected to investigate these claims.
The Delhi Fire Service deployed 23 fire tenders to control the blaze. Firefighters battled the flames throughout the night and managed to bring the situation under control around 3 am on Thursday. Cooling operations continued afterwards to prevent any further flare-ups.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
