New Delhi, 18 March (H.S.): A mid‑morning fire at Ram Chowk Market in Palam, southwest Delhi, has claimed at least seven lives, including three young girls, after flames engulfed a four‑storey building housing a clothing and cosmetics showroom and a family residence. The blaze, which started around 7:04 AM, rapidly spread through the structure, trapping occupants and prompting a large‑scale emergency response.

Police said the multi‑storey building, identified as W‑124A, has a basement, ground floor and first floor dedicated to a cloth and cosmetics showroom run by market president Rajendra Kashyap, while the family lives on the second and third floors. The fire broke out in the commercial section and quickly turned “ferocious,” filling the building with thick smoke and flames and leaving several people trapped inside.

As soon as the alert was received at the Palam Village police station, an SHO‑led police team rushed to the scene along with district administration officials. The Delhi Fire Service dispatched about 20 fire‑tender units and 11 ambulances, and firefighters battled the inferno through the morning before finally bringing it under control. Ten people were rescued from the building, but seven were later declared dead at hospitals.

At Manipal Hospital, six individuals—Praveen (35), Kamal (40), Aashu (32) and three girls aged 12, 6 and 5—were pronounced dead after being brought in with severe burns. At Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Hospital, a woman was declared dead on arrival, while a man and a two‑year‑old girl remain under treatment. A 19‑year‑old youth, who suffered burns to about 25% of his body, has been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.

Preliminary information indicates that two people jumped from the building in a desperate attempt to escape the flames and were later taken to hospital in critical condition. The site continues to be guarded by a combined presence of police, fire services, BSES, Indian Air Force, and NDRF personnel, and an FSL team has been called in to probe the cause of the fire, which has not yet been established.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar