Car fire in Dwarka Expressway tunnel suppressed by automatic safety system

A moving car caught fire inside the Dwarka Expressway tunnel in New Delhi at 11:00 AM on Monday, triggering an automatic safety system that suppressed the blaze within minutes. No injuries were reported in the incident, which temporarily disrupted traffic inside the tunnel.

The tunnel's integrated fire safety system responded immediately to the emergency. The video incident detection system (VIDS) detected the fire inside the tunnel. Within just 47 seconds of detection, the control room alerted the fire response team, prompting the activation of the tunnel's fire mode.

The high-pressure water mist system automatically started and suppressed the fire. The tunnel’s integrated fire safety system, comprising overhead sprinklers, heat sensors, and a deluge fire suppression mechanism, started working within seconds of the outbreak. The system successfully prevented the fire from spreading to nearby vehicles.

An official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) stated that the automatic system reduced the intensity of the blaze and lowered the temperature inside the tunnel to enable emergency responders to reach the spot.

The Kapashera police station also received a PCR call regarding the fire. A police team was dispatched to the spot and found the vehicle engulfed in flames. The driver of the car informed the police that the fire had broken out due to the vehicle overheating.

Although the fire was controlled in less than four minutes, the incident briefly disrupted traffic. Videos of the car fire, which were widely circulated on social media platforms, showed that other vehicles around the burning car came to a standstill inside the tunnel during the emergency.