Massive fire at Delhi's Kashmere Gate police station; records, files gutted

Case files, records and documents of investigating officers were gutted at a police station here as a fire ripped through its 15 rooms and also spread to the office of the metro deputy commissioner of police on its premises, according to officials.

There was no casualty in the incident at the Kashmiri Gate Metro Police Station, they said and added that the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call about it at 12:45 am on Saturday.

Police said due to the efforts of fire-fighters the portion of the "malkhaana" that stored arms, ammunition and case properties was not damaged in the blaze.

There were 15 police personnel in the barracks when the fire broke out and all of them managed to exit safely, the officials said.

Besides the rooms of the police station, 18 rooms of the office of the metro deputy commissioner of police (DCP) were also gutted, they said.

Twelve fire tenders were deployed and it took an hour and a half to douse the fire, DFS said and added that cooling operations went on till late into the day.
 

The officials said some of the 15 rooms of the police station were porta rooms.

Case files, records, diaries of investigating officers, a conference hall, barracks and inspector administration office were among the documents and structures of the police stations and DCP damaged in the fire, the officials said.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. It is suspected that it started from a short circuit in the station's ladies room, a police officer said.

"Within five minutes, it spread to the station's gallery," the officer said and added that the by the time fire tenders arrived, the fire had engulfed of the police station.

Smoke was seen billowing from the police station. Several videos of the incident surfaced on social media.

Police said a team of forensics and fire experts visited the site and collected the samples, and added that a case has been registered.