Short circuit may have caused Palam fire, says Delhi Police

A fire in a multi-storey building in southwest Delhi killed nine, including three children; police suspect a short circuit caused the blaze.

New Delhi

FSL team investigates the site of the fire. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

A day after nine persons, including three children, died in a fire in a multi-storey mixed-use building in southwest Delhi’s Palam Colony, the Delhi Police said that their preliminary probe suggests that a short circuit in the main grid line located on the ground floor of the house led to the fire.

Police said that inquiries by the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) and a magisterial inquiry are still pending.

A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said, “Forensic Science Lab (FSL) teams, DFS teams and crime teams were also called to find out where the fire started. As of now, it looks like the fire started in the main grid line of the house which is located on the ground floor. The FSL team said it seemed like a short circuit in the grid caused the fire.”

“We have collected footage from CCTV cameras around the house to check for signs of any sparks at night. The family had solar panels on the terrace and the electric supply grid was on the ground floor. They had commercial electricity units. There are also statements that a water motor was left switched on, and that could have caused the fire. We are looking into that as well,” the officer said.

The fire broke out at the four-storey building in Ram Chowk Market, Sadh Nagar, around 6.30am. Police said nine people died and three people were seriously injured in the fire.

The senior police officer said, “Burnt bodies of Lado Kashyap and her daughter, Himanshi, were found on the second floor. Since the bodies were completely charred, a DNA test will be conducted, although we have identified Himanshi’s body from the rings she was wearing.”

The FSL also took the family head, Rajendra Kashyap, inside the house for investigation. He alleged that a few items were amiss from the house.

The Delhi Police said they have written to BSES, the electrical inspector and other agencies for a detailed inspection of the building.

Police said that 32-year-old Anil Kashyap and his one-year-old daughter, Mitali, are undergoing treatment for injuries.

A second officer, who was present at the site, said, “Anil was standing on the edge and the fireman was quite far. He then tied his daughter’s leg with a thin wire and released her towards the ground. But the wire broke mid-air due to the blaze. The child fell on another wire and then hit the ground. We tried to catch her but she fell. Thankfully, she is stable now.”