Firefighters battled through the night amidst sweltering heat to bring a massive fire under control that gutted more than 50 shops in tightly-packed buildings in north Delhi's Chandni Chowk area. Officials reported that flames were still smoldering under collapsed portions of buildings, and a cooling operation is currently underway.

The fire erupted around 5 pm on Thursday in Chandni Chowk's Old Katra Marwadi Market. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported.

Atul Garg, the chief of Delhi Fire Services (DFS), stated that the blaze was brought under control at 4:30 am. "Eight fire tenders have been deployed for the cooling operation. Over 50 fire tenders and 200 personnel worked through the night to control the blaze," he added.

Garg further mentioned, "More than 50 small and big shops were gutted in the fire." Two buildings, including the one where the fire originated, collapsed due to the intensity of the blaze. "Small fires are still simmering in combustible items under the debris," he noted.

The shops that were affected primarily sold sarees, dupattas, and other combustible items, as per officials.

M K Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), informed that forensic and electricity departments will conduct an inspection after the completion of the cooling operation. "An FIR is being registered in the matter," he confirmed.

According to another officer, the fire originated due to a short circuit in an air conditioner on the second floor of one of the buildings, quickly spreading to other shops. Firefighters faced challenges in extinguishing the flames due to the interconnected nature of shops in the narrow lanes of the old Katra Marwadi Market.

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