Transformer fire in Laxmi Nagar leaves 14 flats gutted, 50 escape | Delhi News

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

. A major fire broke out in an electric transformer spread to multiple residential buildings in east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday.

New Delhi: Around 50 people had a narrow escape after a massive blaze engulfed three buildings housing 14 flats in east Delhi‘s Laxmi Nagar in the early hours of Saturday. The fire is suspected to have originated in an electrical transformer mounted on a pole.Residents said sparks were first noticed around 12.30 am, prompting them to raise an alarm, alert the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) and evacuate before the situation escalated into multiple transformer explosions. The fire department received a call around 12.45 am, following which seven tenders with about 42 firefighters were dispatched to the spot. The blaze was brought under control by 2.30 am.A resident, Dolly, 50, said she and her husband managed to escape in the initial minutes. “An elderly woman living above us had to wait on the terrace until officials rescued her,” she said. The DFS said 14 people were rescued from the buildings.Kajal, 30, a lab technician, pointed to her elderly father-in-law sitting near a soot-blackened wall and the melted remains of an air conditioner. “We somehow evacuated both senior citizens along with two children, including a 14-month-old, in the middle of the night,” she said, adding that the building has only one entry and exit.Residents said sparking incidents were not uncommon in the area, but automatic shut-off systems in transformers usually prevented fires from spreading. Bachu Paswan, 61, recalled a smaller fire at the same spot around three years ago.The locality is marked by a dense network of overhead wires running through narrow lanes. TOI observed several electricity poles leaning under the weight of transformers and cables. “Less than a week ago, BSES carried out some work here. We believe the safety mechanism failed because of that,” alleged Kajal, opposing the reinstallation of the transformer at the same location.BSES, however, said the fire was triggered by sparking in an air cooler at a nearby house, with flames spreading through telecom and fibre cables before reaching electric lines. “The power supply tripped immediately from the grid end as per the protection system,” a spokesperson said.Sources in the discom said no recent work had been undertaken at the site that could have affected the protection or tripping system and that an investigation was underway. “The damaged distribution transformer is being reinstalled at the same location due to space constraints in the narrow lane and the absence of a viable alternative,” a source said.Residents also alleged that fire tenders took nearly an hour to reach the spot. Responding to the claim, a DFS official present at the scene said, “The initial address shared with us led through an incorrect route where roads were dug up. Even after reaching the correct location, narrow and excavated roads caused a delay of around 10 to 15 minutes.”