Delhi blaze that killed 9 people: Probe focussing on response time of fire officials

Delhi blaze that killed 9 people: Probe focussing on response time of fire officials

New Delhi, The probe into a blaze at Delhi's Palam that caused the death of nine members of a family is focussing on the response time of fire officials, technical issues related to fire tenders and the alleged storage of inflammable material in the affected building, official sources said on Friday.

Delhi blaze that killed 9 people: Probe focussing on response time of fire officials

The magisterial probe ordered by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is looking into the timing of the call made about the blaze and the response of the Delhi Fire Services. It is also looking into the allegation that there was a delay in responding to the incident, the sources said.

The South West district magistrate has undertaken the probe. An interim report is expected soon, officials said.

Also, the rapid spread of the fire and what started it, including allegations that highly-inflammable material were stored in the lower portion of the four-storey building, is being probed by police, a senior Delhi government functionary said.

"Whoever is responsible for this tragedy, whether any government official or anyone else, will be punished strictly if found guilty," he said.

Nine members of a family, including three minors, were killed in southwest Delhi's Palam after a fire broke out in a four-storey residential building on Wednesday morning.

Investigators suspect that a short circuit in an electrical board near the building's entrance likely caused the fire, police said on Thursday.

They also said asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation was likely the cause of death of most of the victims.

Preliminary findings suggest that the fire may have originated from a short circuit in an electric board located just outside the main entrance on the ground floor, the investigators said.

However, the exact cause will be established only after the Forensic Sciences Laboratory report is received, the officials said.

The building, located in a congested lane near the Palam metro station, housed a cloth-and-cosmetics business in the basement, ground and first floors, while the family lived on the upper levels.

Locals have claimed storage of highly-flammable materials, such as clothes and cosmetics, in the building, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. They have also claimed that of the first three fire tenders that reached the spot, two did not have enough water pressure, causing a delay in the fire-fighting operations.

It was also claimed by eyewitnesses that the hydraulic lift ladders of a fire tender failed to operate, further delaying the rescue operations.

Police have registered a case and investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and examine any lapses in safety or response.

The sources said the Delhi government will take strict action against those found responsible for alleged lapses in the fire-fighting operations.

An inquiry has been ordered to identify lapses in connection with the alleged malfunctioning of the hydraulic machine of the firefighters that many have claimed delayed the rescue operations, they added.

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