The fire destroyed 36 buildings that house Central Vista workers

As part of the centre’s ambitious redevelopment programme, demolition work has begun on Udyog Bhawan, one of the premier government office complexes in the Central Vista area. File photo for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: PTI

A massive fire on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) tore through a settlement of nearly 600 tin sheds housing about 1,000 workers, mostly migrants, near the site of the now-demolished Nirman Bhawan, police said.

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The fire, which broke out at 3 a.m. and gutted 36 structures, left workers working on the Central Vista project penniless and penniless. “The fire could have started from an electrical panel, probably as a result of a short circuit, after which it quickly spread to the surrounding containers,” said a police officer. A detailed investigation will determine the exact cause of the fire, he added.

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Mohammad Imtiaz Alam from Begusarai in Bihar collected what little he could find after the fire and left for home on Wednesday afternoon. “I came here two days ago hoping to earn a living. Instead, I lost all the little savings I had,” he said. After collecting their belongings from the blackened containers, some workers were moved to the pavement along the Seva Teerth metro station. Others were provided accommodation in the newly constructed CPWD office, without electricity or any other facilities.

Rizwan Khan, from Surat, Gujarat, stood barefoot on the concrete floor of Central Vista. “No phone left, no clothes, no shoes. I don’t even have money to go home now,” he said. He came to the place only on Tuesday. “I fought with my father to come here. I don’t know what to tell him now,” he added. For a 12-hour day’s work, the workers are paid around ₹1,000 per week by their suppliers.

Shadab, 17, also from Bihar, said he would go to the Nizammuddin dargah to find someone who could help him join him home. “I’m hoping to find a phone so I can call home and ask them to send the money,” he said. He earned about ₹1,700 in the one-and-a-half weeks he worked at the site, which was lost in the fire.

According to workers, the electricity department has been called several times in recent weeks to monitor the electrical panels at the site. They also complained to the department on Tuesday but received no response. “The site is located directly behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is only a few minutes from the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Days before the incident, workers repeatedly put up warning signs about frequent short circuits in the structure. They formally warned the supervisor, the contractor and the wider project administration, but to no avail. The electrician on site refused to fix the problem because there were no direct orders to fix the problem,” All Sucheta De Central Trade Union said. (AICCTU).

Published – 24 Jun 2026 08:06 IST