Congress demands panel to probe fire
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav wrote to the Lieutenant Governor, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, on Thursday, demanding the constitution of a committee to inquire into the Palam fire incident, which claimed nine lives.
According to an official statement, Yadav, in his letter, said the “heart-wrenching” 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 4,652 people died in fire incidents in Delhi between 2016 and 2025, while 24 deaths have been reported in 2026 so far.
Yadav alleged that delays in emergency response aggravated the Palam tragedy. “Fire tenders 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 water tenders and specialised machinery were available at the site.
“There has been no recruitment of Fire Station Officers since 2012. A total of 70 fire stations have a requirement of 90 station officers, while currently there are only 18 station officers, out of which 12 are going to retire soon,” Yadav alleged.
