Palam fire: AAP alleges CM Gupta, govt misled public over 9 deaths

AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj attacked CM Rekha Gupta over the Palam fire DM report, stating 9 deaths were preventable. He alleged the government covered up Fire Department failures, including a malfunctioning skylift and short ladders during the rescue.

AAP Alleges Government Cover-up

AAP's Delhi unit president, Saurabh Bharadwaj, on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Delhi government and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta over the District Magistrate's (DM) report on the Palam fire incident, stating that the nine people who died in the blaze on March 18 could have been saved. Bhardwaj has alleged that CM Gupta and all the ministers repeatedly misled the public to cover up the Fire Department's failures.

On Friday, in a post on X, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, "The truth about the Rekha Gupta government has been exposed in the Palam fire case. We have been saying from day one that nine victims of the Palam Fire could have been saved if the fire brigade equipment (sky lift) had not failed. The minister, MLA and BJP government kept lying and hiding the fire department's failures."

The AAP Delhi Unit Chief further stated, "First their Bronto sky lift did not open, then their manual ladder was too short to reach the balcony. Three girls aged 6, 9 and 12 were burnt alive while shouting for help from the balcony. On top of that, police and fire brigade officers did not allow neighbours to spread mattresses on the ground."

"Remember, in all other fire cases, neighbours have saved dozens of lives by spreading mattresses on the ground. This DM report took almost half a year to be published and made public. Really shameful," the post concluded.

Magisterial Inquiry Report Findings

Meanwhile, the Magisterial Inquiry Report has been submitted to the Home Department, which found that nine people, including seven women, died in the incident, while three others were injured, an official statement said.

Cause of Fire and Contributing Factors

The inquiry report has identified serious lapses by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), while also highlighting regulatory failures, unauthorised overhead cables and violations of fire safety norms as contributing factors. According to the report, the most probable cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit near the MCB box. However, the final cause of the fire is yet to be established and is awaiting the forensic report. The inquiry also found that a large quantity of combustible cosmetic products stored inside the building accelerated the spread of the fire, the statement added.

Equipment and Personnel Failures

The report raised serious concerns over the technical competence of the Assistant Electrical Inspector, citing inadequate training. It also noted that the Skylift crane malfunctioned during the rescue operation, while overhead cables and wires further hampered its deployment. The inquiry, as per the statement, found that no effective alternative high-rise rescue equipment was immediately available at the site, which delayed rescue efforts.

The report further highlighted violations of fire safety norms and lapses in regulatory mechanisms as factors that contributed to the incident.

Government Pledges Corrective Action

The Delhi Government has said that corrective measures will be taken in the wake of the findings. It has also said that steps will be taken to strengthen the Delhi Fire Services, recruit more personnel and upgrade firefighting equipment. (ANI)

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