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Delhi Orders Citywide Third-Party Fire Audit as Palam Blaze Probe Targets Response Lapses

The move targets oversight gaps in mixed-use buildings after nine relatives died in a Palam fire.

Overview

  • Home minister Ashish Sood directed third-party mapping and fire-safety audits of establishments operating within residential and mixed-use zones across Delhi.
  • Officials launched a magisterial inquiry and a parallel internal review of the fire service, with an interim response from the Delhi Fire Service expected soon.
  • Investigators are examining response times, reports of low water pressure on initial tenders, and claims that a hydraulic ladder malfunctioned during rescues.
  • Preliminary CCTV indicates the blaze began on the lower level, with police probing a suspected short circuit near the entrance and seeking reports from MCD, BSES, IGL and the forensic lab.
  • Police say commercial stock of clothes and cosmetics occupied the basement through first floor with only basic extinguishers and no detectors or sprinklers, and nine members of one family were confirmed dead.