A massive fire broke out in a five‑storey residential and commercial building near Shri Ram Chowk, close to Palam Metro station in southwest Delhi on Wednesday morning, claiming the lives of nine members of one family, including three children. The structure housed a cloth and cosmetic showroom on the ground and first floors, while the family of owner Rajender Kashyap lived on the upper floors. The blaze spread rapidly, reportedly fuelled by flammable materials such as perfumes and cosmetics, trapping residents inside their third‑floor flat.
Fire officials rushed nearly 30 fire tenders to the spot and carried out intensive rescue operations in the narrow lanes of the congested market area. The fire was eventually brought under control by the afternoon, but the building’s upper floors were largely gutted. Among the deceased were family head Rajender’s wife Laado, 70, sons Kamal, 39, and Pravesh, 33, Pravesh’s wife Ashu, 35, their daughter Himanshi, 22, three minor girls aged 15, six and three, and Kamal’s daughter Deepika, 28.
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Three others: Anil, 32, his brother Sachin, 29, and two‑year‑old Mitali, jumped from the building to escape the flames and are undergoing treatment for around 25 per cent burn injuries at Safdarjung Hospital. The area has been cordoned off and a forensic team has been called to determine the exact cause of the fire, with a detailed investigation underway.
