New Delhi, March 19 The Delhi government will take strict action against those found responsible for alleged lapses in firefighting operations in southwest Delhi's Palam, where a devastating fire claimed nine lives, official sources said on Thursday.
An inquiry has been ordered to identify any lapses related to the alleged malfunction of the firefighters' hydraulic machine, which many claimed delayed the rescue operation.
Local residents claimed that the ladder of the first hydraulic crane, which reached the spot first, malfunctioned, while the second crane took nearly an hour to arrive, causing delays in rescuing the victims.
They claimed that if the first hydraulic crane had functioned properly, it could have saved lives.
"The government will not spare anyone responsible for these lapses, and strict action will be taken soon," the official sources said.
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 tore through a four-story residential building in Delhi's Palam.