Fire breaks out in Delhi market, locals pelt stones at fire tenders over delayed response

A massive fire broke out in northeast Delhi’s Shastri Park furniture market late in the night, gutting several shops and causing losses worth lakhs of rupees, Delhi Fire Service officials said on Saturday (May 23, 2026).

Angry locals pelted stones at fire tenders over an alleged delay in response to the fire that broke out on Friday (May 22) night. Firefighting operations continued through the night, and no casualties were reported in the incident.

According to the Delhi Fire Service (DFS), a call regarding the blaze was received at around 11.57 p.m. on Friday (May 22).

The fire erupted in the furniture market located near New Seelampur metro station and quickly spread across the area due to the presence of highly combustible material, a DFS official said.

At 12.50 a.m., police assistance was sought after some members of the public pelted stones at the firefighting teams during the operation, he said.

A total of 25 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames, the official said. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and the cooling operation is underway.