500 vehicles, 79 houses, 52 shops gutted in fire during Delhi clashes: Officials

Firefighters stand near a fire rescue vehicle as they douse burnt-out tyre market premises following clashes between people supporting and opposing the citizenship law, in New Delhi. (Photo: AFP)


Three days of violence in North East Delhi has resulted in the burning down of at least 500 vehicles, 79 houses, 52 shops, 3 factories and 2 schools besides places of worship, as per the official data of the fire department.

A senior fire official said at least 218 calls were received of which 25 involved burning down of vehicles. When the fire department responded, it found at least 500 burnt vehicles, the official added.

The official also stated that at least 1,000 trips were undertaken by the fire fighting vehicles in the affected areas.

From the total calls received, 28 were malicious while 15 calls were done with good intention.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Friday asked the city police to ensure that the board examination centres in the violence-hit northeast area of the national capital are given proper security.

A Bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdar was hearing a petition seeking a direction to change the examination centre for students undertaking Class 10 and 12 CBSE examination.

The court directed that “exam centres must be sanitised” and asked police to ensure that “there is no breach of security.”

“At present, the exams scheduled from March 2 onwards will be held subject to situation on the ground,” the bench said. The matter will now be heard on March 4.

The Central Bureau of Secondary Examination (CBSE) told the court that letters have been sent to the National Testing Authority to ensure that the board exams do not clash with the IIT and medical examinations.

The petition, filed by Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir and kin of students, stated that it is “absolutely impossible to even think of approaching the examination centre, much less reaching there in time to take the exams.”

“The situation is so grim and precarious that the students had to rush outside the school from the back gate and a girl child reported her horrible experience of having been stalked and chased by an armed mob,” the plea stated.

As many as 42 people have been killed and over 350 injured in the violent clashes that erupted between the supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act on Saturday evening and continued till Tuesday.

The Delhi Police has registered 123 FIRs and arrested 630 people so far in connection with the communal riots.

(With inputs from IANS)