In ICU, man who raised alarm still unaware of 9 deaths
New Delhi: Nine members of a family, including three children, were killed in a devastating fire that engulfed a five-storey residential building in Delhi’s Palam area on Wednesday, while several others sustained injuries in desperate attempts to escape.
The building, located near Ram Chowk Market close to the Palam Metro Station, housed a cloth and cosmetic showroom on the ground and first floors, while the family of the owner, Rajender Kashyap, lived on the upper levels. According to eyewitnesses, the structure had a single entry and exit, which quickly became inaccessible as thick plumes of black smoke spread through the building.
Sachin (29), one of the survivors, is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Safdarjung Hospital with severe burn injuries. Medical officials said he sustained burns on his hands, parts of his face and both legs while attempting to escape.
He remains on oxygen support and is under observation for the next 36 hours. Unaware of the deaths in his family, Sachin is said to have been the first to notice the fire and tried to alert others before making his way to the rooftop and jumping onto a neighbouring house.
In another harrowing incident, Anil (32) jumped from the third floor with his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter after a rescue ladder
failed to reach them.
As flames intensified, he attempted to lower the child, but she slipped from his grasp and fell, sustaining fractures in both legs. Anil then jumped, hitting a parked vehicle and suffering head injuries. Both are undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital.
Neighbours alleged that no safety nets or cushioning arrangements were in place during the rescue. Some also claimed that the first fire tender malfunctioned and another took nearly 50 minutes to arrive, delaying operations. Residents made frantic attempts to save those trapped by breaking windows
and parts of the wall.
The blaze was so intense that it was visible from a nearby flyover, prompting locals to rush to the scene. Many victims were unable to reach the rooftop as smoke rapidly filled the building.
A large-scale rescue effort involving around 30 fire tenders, 11 ambulances, and teams from the police, BSES, Air Force police and the NDRF was launched. The fire has since been doused, and authorities have cordoned off the area. A forensic team has been deployed to investigate the cause of the incident.
