New Delhi, March 20 The investigation into a fire in Palam, Delhi, which caused the death of nine family members, is focusing on the response time of fire officials, technical issues related to fire trucks, and the alleged storage of flammable materials in the affected building, official sources said on Friday.
The magisterial investigation ordered by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is looking into the timing of the call about the fire and the response of the Delhi Fire Services. It is also investigating the allegation that there was a delay in responding to the incident, the sources said.
The South West district magistrate has undertaken the investigation. An interim report is expected soon, officials said.
Also, the rapid spread of the fire and what started it, including allegations that highly flammable materials were stored in the lower portion of the four-story building, are being investigated by the police, a senior Delhi government official said.
"Whoever is responsible for this tragedy, whether any government official or anyone else, will be strictly punished if found guilty," he said.
Nine members of a family, including three minors, were killed in southwest Delhi's Palam after a fire broke out in a four-story residential building on Wednesday morning.
Investigators suspect that a short circuit in an electrical board near the building's entrance likely caused the fire, police said on Thursday.
They also said that asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation was likely the cause of death of most of the victims.
Preliminary findings suggest that the fire may have originated from a short circuit in an electric board located just outside the main entrance on the ground floor, the investigators said.
However, the exact cause will be established only after the Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) report is received, the officials said.
The building, located in a congested lane near the Palam metro station, housed a cloth and cosmetics business in the basement, ground, and first floors, while the family lived on the upper levels.
Locals have claimed that highly flammable materials, such as clothes and cosmetics, were stored in the building, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. They have also claimed that of the first three fire trucks that reached the spot, two did not have enough water pressure, causing a delay in the fire-fighting operations.
Eyewitnesses also claimed that the hydraulic lift ladders of a fire truck failed to operate, further delaying the rescue operations.
Police have registered a case, and an investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and examine any lapses in safety or response.
The sources said that the Delhi government will take strict action against those found responsible for alleged lapses in the fire-fighting operations.
An inquiry has been ordered to identify lapses in connection with the alleged malfunctioning of the hydraulic machine of the firefighters, which many have claimed delayed the rescue operations, they added.