नवीनतम
Delhi: Three children among 7 killed in massive fire in Palam
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Seven members of a family, including three children, died after a fire broke out in a multi-storey residential building in southwest Delhi's Palam area on Wednesday morning, officials said.
Chief Minister of Delhi Rekha Gupta has ordered a magisterial inquiry into a deadly fire at a multi-storey residential building in the Palam area of the national capital.
Expressing distress over the incident, the Chief Minister said the district administration, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Police are carrying out rescue operations, adding that a detailed probe will ascertain the cause of the blaze.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased in the Palam residential building fire.
Expressing his deepest condolences on the unfortunate incident, the PM announced Rs 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. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," the PMO wrote on X.
Two people jumped from the building in a bid to escape the flames and were admitted to a hospital, they said.
A massive firefighting and rescue operation was launched with 30 fire tenders after the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call regarding the blaze around 7 am from a house located in a building near Palam Metro Station.
"Information was received about a fire in a residential unit, and we feared some people might be trapped inside. Rescue operations were launched immediately," a DFS officer said.
The second and third floors of the five-storey building were residential units.
Visuals from the scene showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing out of the building and rising into the sky, as flames engulfed portions of the structure.
Seven people, including three children, were taken out of the building by DFS personnel and rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were declared dead, officials said.
Two others had jumped out of the building due to the flames. They are currently under treatment at a hospital, they said.
According to Delhi Fire Services , the building had a basement and five floors, with a temporary tin shed on the roof. The basement, ground and first floors were being used for storage of clothes and cosmetics, while the second and third floors were residential units.
Firefighters carried out intensive search and rescue operations in the smoke-filled building after navigating through the congested locality. Cooling operations were underway at the time of filing this report, while teams continued to search the premises to ensure no one remained trapped, officials said.
In videos circulating online, people could be seen gathering in the narrow lanes near the building as firefighters battled the blaze using hoses and ladders.
Police and other emergency services have cordoned off the area to facilitate the firefighting operation. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Further details are awaited.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi expressed condolences on the incident and hopes for the recovery of the injured. She requested the Congress members to extend help to the victims.
"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.
