A large fire broke out in the shops of Bhagirath Palace market of Chandni Chowk in Delhi, India, last Thursday and has damaged around 200 shops. Firefighters spent several days struggling to suppress the blaze.

A police officer said the fire was brought under control on Friday morning and the cooling process was underway, but had reignited by the evening.

According to officials, the narrow lanes and congested area posed a major challenge for them while dousing the fire. A shortage of water and weak buildings were also said to have been factors in suppressing the fire.

“The narrow bylanes of congested Chandni Chowk made it difficult for the fire tenders to enter the spot. At some places, firefighters were forced to break the barriers which were put up for beautification of Chandni Chowk,” said Atul Garg, the director of Delhi Fire Service.

Most of the around 200 shops gutted in fire in the wholesale market dealt with electronic appliances, a senior police officer said.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena visited the Bhagirath Palace market on Saturday and commented: “With hanging wires, overloaded circuits, old buildings, water shortage and narrow lanes, such areas are dangerously prone to blazes.”

He said a multi-disciplinary committee had been constituted to look into ways to address these issues with the active involvement of residents and other stakeholders in areas like Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Pahar Ganj and others. A report has been sought within 30 days.