Fire burns through a cooler factory in Kundli, Sonipat

What happened

A little before midnight on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, fire broke out in a factory that makes air coolers and LED screens in the Kundli industrial area of Sonipat, Haryana. The fire control room got the call at about 11.33 pm. The unit stands on plot 124, in Zone D, Sector 53. By the time the first engines arrived the flames had taken hold of the building, and over the night they spread to every floor. Nobody has been reported hurt. Updated 27 October 2026.

It was not a quick fight. Engines were called from Sonipat, Panipat, Ganaur, Education City, Sector 23 and Samalkha, and one report adds Narela and Bahadurgarh. The count of tenders runs from more than 10 to more than 16 depending on the report and the hour. By Wednesday morning the fire was still not fully out, and a report from later in the day says the first floor was still burning about twelve hours on, though the rest was largely under control. Firefighters spent the night watering the neighbouring units so the fire would not cross over.

What was inside

A cooler factory is full of things that burn. Plastic bodies, fibre sheets, packing material, wiring and finished stock sit close together, and an LED line adds more plastic and electronics. One report names plastic and fibre as the fuel that made the fire grow so fast. Reports do not mention batteries or thermocol, so we do not claim them. The goods, machines and raw material kept inside were badly damaged.

Cause and loss

Two reports say a short circuit is the suspected cause, going by what people at the spot said. The fire officer has not confirmed it, and one report says the cause has not been disclosed. Kundli police are looking into it. On loss, the reports pull apart. Two say goods worth lakhs of rupees were burnt, while another says a loss of crores is feared. The officer said the real figure can be worked out only after the fire is out, and no figure has been announced since.

Not the same fire as Barota

Sonipat has had another serious factory fire this month. That one was at a foam factory near Barota village, about 7 km away, on 15 October, and it cost two lives. It is a different incident, and you can read it in our Sonipat foam factory fire case study. For another factory fire with a long fight and no deaths, see the Jabalpur factory fire case study.

Work in a Kundli factory or godown? Our Sonipat district guide lists the fire stations and emergency numbers around the industrial area.

What you can do tonight

Walk through your own factory after the shift ends and look at what sits next to the electrical panels and the stairs. Plastic bodies, packing boxes and finished stock stacked against a panel, or on a staircase, are what turn a short circuit into a fire on every floor. Move them at least a metre back, keep one clear path to each exit, and check that the hydrant and the road outside the gate are not blocked by parked trucks or stock. Then see that the extinguishers near the panels are in date. For the basics, our fire extinguisher guide, workplace fire safety page and fire NOC guide are a good start, and this guide on factory fires in India explains where such fires usually begin. For fire, call 112 or 101.