At least three people, including two women, lost their lives after a massive fire broke out in the Tughlakabad Extension area of Delhi in the wee hours of Friday, said officials. Several others were also injured in the blaze who were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
According to officials, the fire department received a call around 2.25 am about a blaze in a multi-storey building in Gali Number 1 near the Naya Tara Apartment on Madhyan Marg, which comes under the jurisdiction of Okhla Fire Station-1.
Several fire tenders were soon rushed to the spot and a rescue operation was launched, said officials.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) rescued evacuated eight persons who were shifted to a hospital with the assistance of the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS), officials said. Officials and eyewitnesses believe that the blaze erupted in some vehicles and bikes that were parked inside the building.
"The fire erupted in vehicles. These are very congested alleys... The locals helped in dousing the fire and bringing the situation under control," a local told news agency ANI.
The fire caused thick smoke which trapped people inside the building. However, the fire was brought under control by 3.45 am, and by 4.00 am, the fire-fighting operations were completed, officials added.
The cause of the fire is not known yet and a probe is yet to be conducted.
The fire in Tughlakabad comes days after the massive blaze at a hotel in Malviya Nagar that had claimed 22 lives, mostly foreigners. Currently, a probe is underway in the Nalviya Nagar fire incident, but the police have arrested the hotel owner.
The Delhi government is now considering making fire safety measures mandatory in low-rise residential buildings, especially those which are less than 15 metres tall. Currently, installations fire safety installations such as hydrants, extinguishers and smoke detectors are compulsory only in high-rise buildings and structures that require fire no objection certificates (NOCs).
In addition to this, the Delhi Fire Service has also recommended making smoke detectors and extinguishers compulsory in all homes and suggested a phased plan for retrofitting existing buildings with basic fire-safety equipment.
ALSO READ - Delhi hotel fire: Licensing, oversight revelations put govt agencies under scanner for 21 deaths
