Gaffar Market fire: Blaze engulfs 4-storey Delhi building, 25 tenders deployed
Synopsis
A fire that broke out in a mobile battery storage shop at Gaffar Market in the dead of night engulfed an entire four-storey commercial building, drawing nearly 25 fire tenders. With no casualties reported, the relief is tempered by a stark pattern: this is Delhi's second major commercial fire in under a week, raising urgent questions about fire-safety compliance in the capital's densely packed trade hubs.
Key Takeaways
A major fire broke out at Shop No.
13/21, Puri Plaza, Gaffar Market , New Delhi , at around 1.28 am on 6 November 2026 .
The blaze started in a ground-floor mobile battery storage area and spread to all four floors of the building.
Around 20–25 fire tenders , three CAT ambulances, and two PCR vehicles were deployed.
No casualties or injuries have been reported; damage is limited to property.
Prima facie cause is reportedly overheating or overcharging of batteries ; the exact cause is under investigation.
The incident follows a fire at Mangolpuri Industrial Area on 30 October that killed four people .
A major fire broke out at a mobile accessories building in Delhi's Gaffar Market in the early hours of Friday, 6 November 2026, spreading rapidly from a ground-floor shop to all four storeys of a commercial establishment at Shop No. 13/21, Puri Plaza. Around 20–25 fire tenders, three CAT ambulances, and two PCR vehicles were deployed to contain the blaze. No casualties or injuries have been reported so far, though property damage has been confirmed.
How the Fire Started
According to Delhi Police, a PCR call regarding a fire in a building at Chain Wali Gali was received at 1.28 am at Karol Bagh Police Station. Night staff, along with the Station House Officer (SHO), immediately reached the spot. Preliminary information indicates the fire originated in a ground-floor shop where mobile batteries were stored before spreading upward through the entire four-storey structure. Prima facie, overheating or overcharging of batteries is being considered a possible cause, though the exact reason is yet to be officially established.
Emergency Response at the Scene
Firefighting teams launched simultaneous firefighting and relief operations across all floors. The scale of the deployment — with roughly 20–25 fire tenders alongside ambulance and police support — reflects the intensity of the blaze. Police confirmed that the damage was limited to property, with no loss of life or injuries recorded as of the latest update.
Context: A Pattern of Fires in Delhi
The incident follows a deadly fire at a shoe factory in Delhi's Mangolpuri Industrial Area that claimed four lives and left two others seriously injured. That blaze broke out at around 9.30 pm on 30 October at a factory in Phase-I of the industrial area; six people were rescued from inside the building, found unconscious, of whom four subsequently died and two sustained serious injuries. Notably, Gaffar Market — a dense hub of electronics and mobile accessories trade — presents heightened fire risks due to the volume of lithium-based battery stocks held in closely packed commercial premises.
What Happens Next
Fire department officials are expected to conduct a formal cause-and-origin investigation once the blaze is fully extinguished. The findings will determine whether regulatory or compliance action follows against the building's occupants. With two major commercial fires in Delhi within a week, calls for stricter fire-safety inspections of markets and industrial clusters in the capital are likely to intensify.
Point of View
Where lithium battery stocks are stored in cramped, poorly ventilated ground-floor shops that were never designed for such inventory. The fact that this fire caused no fatalities is fortunate, not systemic. Without mandatory fire-safety audits tied to trading licences in high-risk markets like Gaffar, Lajpat Rai, and Nehru Place, the next fire may not end as cleanly. Delhi's fire department is perennially under-resourced relative to the density it covers; the deployment of 25 tenders for a single building underscores how thin that margin already is.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly did the Gaffar Market fire break out?
The fire broke out at Shop No. 13/21, Puri Plaza, Gaffar Market, in the Chain Wali Gali area of Karol Bagh, New Delhi. The building is a four-storey commercial establishment dealing in mobile accessories.
What is the likely cause of the Gaffar Market fire?
Prima facie, overheating or overcharging of mobile batteries stored on the ground floor is being considered the possible cause, according to Delhi Police. The exact reason is yet to be officially established pending a formal investigation.
Were there any casualties in the Gaffar Market fire?
No casualties or injuries have been reported as of the latest update. Delhi Police confirmed that damage was limited to property.
How many fire tenders were deployed to fight the blaze?
Around 20 to 25 fire tenders were deployed, along with three CAT ambulances and two PCR vehicles, as emergency teams conducted firefighting and relief operations across all four floors.
Is this fire linked to recent fire incidents in Delhi?
While not directly linked, it follows a deadly fire at a shoe factory in Mangolpuri Industrial Area on 30 October that killed four people and seriously injured two. The two incidents have prompted fresh scrutiny of fire-safety compliance in Delhi's commercial and industrial spaces.
