Building catches fire in Delhi: Nine members of a family dead

NEW DELHI: In a tragic incident, nine members of a single family were killed after a fire broke out at a four-storey building in the Paharganj area of Delhi. The family of businessman Rajender Kashyap was affected. The victims included Kashyap’s differently-abled wife Lado, his children Pravesh, Kamal, Himanshi, and his in-laws’ children Ashu, Deepika, and three grandchildren. The fire department rescued twelve people in the building.

Kashyap’s other son, Anil, jumped from the third floor after safely handing his two-year-old daughter to the rescuers. His younger son, Sachin, suffered burns on 25% of his body while trying to escape. All injured are receiving treatment in the hospital. The family lived on the third and fourth floors of the building. The fire broke out around 6:30 AM yesterday in the Paharganj Ram Market area.

More than 20 fire brigade units, along with the National Disaster Response Force, worked for several hours to bring the fire under control. The ground and first floors of the building housed a showroom for fabrics and beauty products. A short circuit is suspected as the primary cause of the fire.

The Delhi government announced Rs 10 lakh in compensation for the families of the deceased. Families of the children who died will receive Rs 2 lakh each, and those severely burned will get Rs 2 lakh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi described it as a heartbreaking tragedy on social media.