Nine members of a family, including three children, died after a fire broke out in a multi-storey residential building in southwest Delhi's Palam area on Wednesday morning, officials said.
Three others were injured, two of them jumped from the building at Ram Chowk Market near Palam Metro Station in a desperate attempt to escape the flames, they said.
A massive firefighting and rescue operation was launched with 30 fire tenders after the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call regarding the blaze around 7 am from a house located in a building near Palam Metro Station.
"Information was received about a fire in a residential unit, and we feared some people might be trapped inside. Rescue operations were launched immediately," a DFS officer said.
The second and third floors of the five-storey building were residential units.
Among the people who were rescued from the building, nine were declared dead at the hospital.
Pravesh (33), Kamal, (39), Ashu (35) Lado (70 ), Himanshi (22), Deepika (28) and three minor girls aged 15, six -- were identified to have died in the fire.
Anil (32)and one girl (2 yrs) are under treatment and Sachin (29) was being treated for 25 per cent burn injuries at Safdarjung Hospital.
Visuals from the scene showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing out of the building and rising into the sky, as flames engulfed portions of the structure.
Seven people, including three children, were taken out of the building by DFS personnel and rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were declared dead, officials said.
Two others had jumped out of the building due to the flames. They are currently under treatment at a hospital, they said.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said a magisterial inquiry was ordered into the incident.
Gupta, in a post on X, said she was extremely distressed to learn about the unfortunate fire at the residential building.
The district administration, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Police are leading the rescue operation, she said. "Magisterial enquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident," she added.
Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said rescue and firefighting operations are being closely monitored and all necessary support is being extended.
"Deeply distressed by the fire incident in a residential building near Palam Metro. My thoughts are with those affected by this tragic loss," he said in a post on X.
According to Delhi Fire Services (DFS), the building had a basement and five floors, with a temporary tin shed on the roof. The basement, ground and first floors were being used for storage of clothes and cosmetics, while the second and third floors were residential units.
Firefighters carried out intensive search and rescue operations in the smoke-filled building after navigating through the congested locality. Cooling operations were underway at the time of filing this report, while teams continued to search the premises to ensure no one remained trapped, officials said.
In videos circulating online, people could be seen gathering in the narrow lanes near the building as firefighters battled the blaze using hoses and ladders.
Police and other emergency services have cordoned off the area to facilitate the firefighting operation. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Further details are awaited.