A typical bustling Sunday for hundreds of vendors and shoppers turned into a scene of chaos and despair as a massive fire tore through the heart of the Sector 12 makeshift market. The incident has left dozens of families without their primary source of livelihood right after the festive week.
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Rapid Spread: The fire started around 12:15 PM in a stall located in the center of the market. Due to the high density of synthetic fabrics and the use of plastic tarpaulins for shade, the fire leaped from one stall to another within minutes.
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Firefighting Efforts: Four fire tenders from the Sector 15 and NIT fire stations were pressed into service. It took nearly two hours of intensive effort to douse the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby parked vehicles and permanent structures.
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Loss Assessment: Local vendor associations report that since it was the peak season for winter wear (jackets and sweaters), each stall was carrying stock worth ₹50,000 to ₹1.5 lakh. The total loss is projected to exceed ₹60 lakh. “Everything I bought on credit for the winter season is gone. I have nothing left to sell tomorrow,” cried one of the affected shopkeepers.
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Safety Concerns: This incident has again highlighted the lack of fire safety protocols in makeshift weekly markets. The narrow lanes between stalls made it difficult for fire engines to reach the source of the blaze quickly.
Community Sentiment
“The fire was so fast that we didn’t even have time to pull our stocks out. People were running for their lives. We’ve been asking for better electrical wiring in this ground for years, but no one listens until a tragedy like this happens,” said a local union leader for the Sunday Market vendors.
