Delhi Palam fire: 9 dead; was short circuit the reason? CM Rekha Gupta, L-G order magisterial inquiry, fire audit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of people who died in the fire incident at the Palam residential building.

Expressing his deepest condolences on the unfortunate incident, PM Modi announced ₹50,000 ex-gratia to the injured from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund.

"The fire incident in Palam, Delhi, is saddening. I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," the PMO wrote on X.

It added, “An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.”

Information regarding the blaze was received at 7:04 am at Palam Village police station, following which teams rushed to the spot.

A short circuit was reported to be the cause of the fire, as per news agency ANI.

The Delhi Fire Services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police and other agencies were engaged in relief work.

Around 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames and rescue people who may be trapped inside.

Visuals from the scene showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing out of the building and rising into the sky, with flames engulfing parts of the structure as firefighters battled the blaze in the congested market area.

Meanwhile, one female, Deepika (28), was declared brought dead in IGI hospital, where two people, Anil (32) and a girl (2) are undergoing treatment.

Anil, 32, and one girl aged two are under treatment and Sachin (29) was being treated for 25 per cent burn injuries at Safdarjung Hospital, PTI reported.

The five-storey building had a cloth and cosmetic showroom on the ground and first floor, while the family of the owner of the showroom, Rajender Kashyap, lived on the second and third floors.

Speaking to ANI, National Disaster Relief Force Deputy Inspector Vicky Ranga said that the rescue operation is challenging as the blaze has damaged the building from the inside.

"We arrived at the spot within 10 minutes, and Delhi fire service and other agencies were trying to extinguish the fire...," he was quoted as saying.

He added, "We removed two dead bodies from there. The building is damaged from the inside... and doing a rescue operation in such a building is a big challenge... Nearby buildings have been evacuated."

In a post on X, Gupta said she was extremely distressed to learn about the unfortunate fire at the residential building.

The district administration, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Police are leading the rescue operation, she said. "Magisterial enquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident," she added.

Meanwhile, Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said rescue and firefighting operations are being closely monitored and all necessary support is being extended.

"Deeply distressed by the fire incident in a residential building near Palam Metro. My thoughts are with those affected by this tragic loss," he said in a post on X.

The direction came in the wake of a fire in a multi-storey building in southwest Delhi's Palam area in which at least nine persons have died and three others injured.

In a post on X, LG office said, "Discussed today's unfortunate residential fire incident; directed a comprehensive fire audit across localities and institutions to strengthen prevention."

"The news of the deaths of several people due to a fire in Palam, Delhi, is extremely heartbreaking. May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured. I appeal to the leaders and workers of the Congress Party to help the victims as much as possible," she said.