A massive fire tore through a four-story building in southwest Delhi’s Palam area early Wednesday morning, killing nine members of a family, including three minors. 

The blaze, which broke out around 6:30 am, trapped 12 family members in their residence above a complex of cosmetic and garment shops. While rescue operations saved three people who are currently undergoing treatment, most of the family perished in the tragedy. Police were alerted to the incident at 7:04 am, shortly before rescue efforts began.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of deceased adults, Rs 5 lakh each to the families of deceased minors and Rs 2 lakh each to the seriously injured. Additionally, the Prime Minister's Office announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.

Following the incident, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also visited the scene. Notably, the family affected by the tragedy is associated with AAP, according to senior party leader Sanjay Singh. An investigation into the matter is currently underway.

Locals allege that the fire brigade's hydraulic lift, which arrived at the scene following the incident, failed to deploy in time, preventing people from being evacuated promptly. During this delay, the fire spread further. 

Resident Yogesh claimed, “My son was on his way to college at 6:00 am; he was the first to spot the fire and called me. I rushed to the scene immediately and asked my father to call the fire brigade. At that time, the fire was confined to a small area. We attempted to go upstairs, but the smoke was too dense. One young man jumped out and sustained burns.”

Meanwhile, Mahesh Sharma, the president of Ram Chowk market, claimed that he had immediately alerted the fire brigade, the police, and the electricity department. He went on to claim that the police and the fire brigade subsequently arrived at the scene, but during the operation, the fire brigade’s water supply ran out, and a second fire engine arrived approximately 20 minutes later.

Watch our report here.

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