New Delhi, March 19 Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav wrote to Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Thursday, demanding the constitution of a committee to investigate the Palam fire incident, which claimed nine lives.
According to an official statement, Yadav said in his letter that the "heartbreaking" loss of lives could have been avoided with timely and efficient rescue operations.
He urged Sandhu to order a thorough investigation into the incident and take steps to curb the rising number of fire-related mishaps in the national capital, the statement read.
Citing data, he said that 4,652 people died in fire incidents in Delhi between 2016 and 2025, while 24 deaths have been reported so far in 2026.
Yadav alleged that delays in emergency response aggravated the Palam tragedy. "Fire engines reached the spot after nearly an hour, and hydraulic machines did not open in time, leaving victims with no escape," he said.
He also flagged an acute shortage of manpower and equipment in the fire department, claiming that only half the required number of fire engines and specialized machinery were available at the site.
"There has been no recruitment of Fire Station Officers since 2012. A total of 70 fire stations require 90 station officers, while currently, there are only 18 station officers, of which 12 are set to retire soon," Yadav alleged.
On Wednesday morning, nine members of a family, including a 70-year-old woman and three young girls – one just three years old – were killed after a massive fire that swept a four-storey residential building in southwest Delhi's Palam.