Tragic fires in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh claim multiple lives, probe ordered

NEW DELHI: At least nine people, including three children, were killed and several others injured after a major fire broke out in a multi-storey building in New Delhi’s Palam area on Wednesday, officials said. The blaze occurred in the morning at WZ-124A, Ram Chowk Market, where the basement, ground, and first floors housed a cloth and cosmetic showroom owned by Rajender Kashyap, while his family resided on the upper floors. Firefighting teams rushed to the scene, deploying around 25 fire tenders for cooling operations, search, and rescue. Authorities confirmed that nine people have died so far. Two individuals, in a desperate attempt to escape the flames, jumped from the building and sustained injuries; they were shifted to nearby hospitals.

A team from the Delhi Police cordoned off the area to ensure smooth rescue operations, and a Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance with a medical team was stationed at the site. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has initiated a magisterial probe into the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced aid for the victims’ families, stating that an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs. 50,000 to the injured. (Agencies)

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