Delhi orders mapping, citywide fire audit
Those responsible for lapses in Palam firefighting operation to face action
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood has ordered a third-party mapping and fire safety audit of all establishments across the capital, including those operating in residential areas, to expedite safety checks following the blaze at a building in Palam on Wednesday which claimed nine lives.
Sood directed third-party experts be engaged to map and audit all establishments in the city for fire safety compliance. "The move aims to identify gaps in safety measures and ensure adherence to prescribed norms across commercial units operating in mixed-use areas," he said.
"Every worker and every family deserves to feel safe, no matter where they are," Sood said, adding that the government intends to eliminate gaps in safety coverage and strengthen preventive measures.
Earlier, Delhi Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who chaired his first meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday, directed a comprehensive fire safety audit across the capital.
Meanwhile, an inquiry has been ordered to identify lapses in connection with the alleged malfunctioning of hydraulic machine of firefighters that many claimed delayed the rescue operation.
Locals claimed that the ladder of the hydraulic crane, which first reached the spot, malfunctioned while the second crane took nearly an hour to arrive, causing delays in the rescue of the victims. They claimed that had the first hydraulic crane worked properly, it could have saved lives.
"The government will not spare anyone responsible for these lapses and strict action will soon be taken," the official sources said.
