A massive fire erupted in the Anarkali Building and the adjacent Delhi Development Authority (DDA) shopping complex in Jhandewalan, central Delhi, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, reducing the five-storey structure to ashes.

The blaze raged for over two hours before firefighters and police brought it under control, deploying cranes to tackle flames on the upper floors. No injuries have been reported, a rare silver lining in the devastation.

The building, undergoing repair work, housed offices and shops, including an ICICI Bank branch and a Domino’s Pizza outlet. Sources claim everything inside was destroyed, with cash worth lakhs incinerated in the bank. The fire leapt to cars parked outside, torching them as thick smoke choked the busy commercial hub.

Over 15 fire tenders battled the inferno, which officials suspect may have been sparked by construction-related mishaps, though the exact cause remains under investigation.

The scale of destruction—shops gutted, offices obliterated, and vehicles charred—marks this as one of Delhi’s worst fire incidents this year. While the rapid response averted a human toll, the economic hit is staggering, with businesses facing an uphill recovery.

Critics point to lax safety norms during repairs as a potential culprit, echoing past blazes like the 2022 Jhandewalan cycle market fire. For now, Jhandewalan smolders, a stark reminder of the city’s firefighting challenges.