Nine Of One Family Dead In Delhi's Palam Building Fire

Nine members of a single family, including three young girls aged 15, 6, and 3, were killed on Wednesday morning when a fierce fire tore through a five-storey building in Delhi's Palam area, with some occupants jumping from upper floors in desperate attempts to escape the blaze.

Palam Village police station received the distress call at 7:04 am, with fire brigade, police, and rescue teams rushing to the scene to find heavy smoke billowing from the structure and residents in a state of panic. The building's ground and first floors housed a clothing and cosmetics showroom, with the showroom owner's family residing on the floors above. The commercial premises on the lower floors are believed to have accelerated the fire's rapid spread, leaving those on upper floors with no viable escape route.

Two people jumped from the building and sustained serious injuries. Forensic teams have been called in to determine the cause, with a short circuit among the initial possibilities under investigation.

All nine fatalities belonged to the same family. Police identified the deceased as Pravesh (33), Kamal (39), Ashu (35), La Do (70), Himam Shi (22), Deepa Pinka (28), and three girls. Three others sustained injuries — Anil (32), a two-year-old girl, and Sachin (29), who suffered approximately 25 per cent burn injuries and is being treated at Safdarjung Hospital.

Around 30 fire engines and 11 ambulances were deployed at the site. Personnel from the NDRF, Air Force Police, and BSEAS joined Delhi Police and fire brigade teams in the rescue effort, navigating smoke-filled rooms and narrow staircases to pull out survivors, many of them unconscious. The narrow lanes surrounding the building significantly hampered firefighting efforts. The blaze was fully brought under control after several hours.