Entire Tibetan sweater market ravaged by fire in Delhi

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Nov 8: The entire Tibetan refugee sweater market near Red Fort in Delhi has been gutted by a massive fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The fire, reportedly caused by a short circuit, has ravaged the entire 140 stores in the market to ashes incurring a huge loss amounting to 12 crore rupees.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Tuesday morning around 1:30 am and it took 14 firefighter trucks to extinguish the fire.

“The fire has charred entire 140 stores in the Tibetan refugee sweater market near Kabutar market at Red Fort. We are doomed as the market has just opened and the fire took every thing we have,” a Tibetan who owns a store at the market told Tibet Express over the phone.

Tibetan refugees across Delhi, Dalhousie, Dharamsala, Srinagar and South India have set up their stores in the market popularly known as Tibetan woolen market. The Tibetans who are largely uneducated and unemployed have taken loans from banks and sweater merchants to make a living during the winter season.

Education Kalon (Minister) Ngodup Tsering, Secretary of Delhi Bureau office, Tsewang Gyalpo and the Settlement Officer of Samyeling Tibetan settlement in Delhi had a meeting with the Tibetan store owners where they assured the shopkeepers that they will inform the Kashag to provide necessary assistance.

“The officials assured the store keepers devastated by the fire mishap that they will inform the Kashag (Cabinet Minister) of the Tibetan administration and every assistance will be provided to them,” Sonam Topgyal, Pradhan of the sweater market told Tibet Express over the phone.