A massive fire tore through a cluster of shanties in southwest Delhi, leaving hundreds of people homeless after dozens of makeshift homes were reduced to ashes overnight. The incident occurred in the Machhli Mandi slum cluster in Matiala village near Uttam Nagar, spreading rapidly through the densely packed settlement.

Fire breaks out late at night

The blaze broke out on the night of March 11 and quickly spread across nearly four acres of the slum cluster. Within a short time, at least 80 shanties were gutted as flames swept through homes made of bamboo, tarpaulin sheets and plastic, materials that easily catch fire. Emergency services rushed to the scene after police received alerts about the fire. The Delhi Fire Service deployed around 23 fire tenders, and firefighters battled the flames throughout the night. After hours of effort, the fire was finally brought under control at around 3 am on Thursday. Police teams also helped evacuate residents from the area before the fire intensified, ensuring that no deaths were reported despite the scale of the blaze.

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Hundreds lose homes and belongings

Although there were no casualties, the fire caused widespread destruction. Hundreds of migrant families, many of them daily-wage labourers and ragpickers from Bihar, lost their homes and all their belongings in the blaze.

Residents said they lost essential items such as clothes, utensils, food supplies and identity documents. Schoolchildren living in the settlement also lost their books, uniforms and notebooks, just days before important examinations. Officials said the land where the settlement stands has long been under dispute. Authorities had reportedly issued an evacuation notice on March 7, making the night of the fire the final deadline for compliance. Investigators are now trying to determine the exact cause of the blaze.

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Some officials suspect that the fire may have started due to waste burning in the area, which is common among ragpickers. However, eyewitnesses also claimed that unidentified individuals on motorcycles may have deliberately set parts of the settlement on fire before fleeing. The investigation is currently underway as authorities assess the damage and consider relief measures for the families who have been left without shelter.