NEW DELHI: A devastating fire tore through a residential-cum-commercial building in southwest Delhi’s Palam area on Wednesday morning, killing nine members of a close-knit family — including three children — and leaving several others critically injured, as flames and thick smoke turned the upper floors into a deadly trap.The blaze broke out around 7am at a four-storeyed building in WZ block of Ram Chowk Market and quickly engulfed the structure, fed by large stockpiles of garments and cosmetic items stored in the lower floors. The basement, ground and first floors housed a cloth and cosmetics showroom — Pravesh Moderate — while the family lived on the second and third floors.An initial probe suggested a short circuit, possibly linked to an electrical fault such as a running water motor, may have sparked the fire, though police said the exact cause remains under investigation.As flames rapidly spread through the showroom levels, thick smoke billowed upwards, trapping residents inside. “Seven bodies were recovered from a hall on the third floor, while two were found in a bathroom,” an officer said, underscoring how the upper floors became a death chamber within minutes.
Rescue effort stretched for hours
A massive emergency response was launched, involving 30 fire tenders and over 100 firefighters, supported by police, NDRF personnel and 11 CATS ambulances. It took nearly 4 to 5 hours to bring the blaze under control, with cooling and search operations continuing into the evening.Eyewitness Yogesh Sharma said locals tried desperately to help. “We tried to break open the showroom shutter to rescue those trapped. By the time we could act, the smoke had already filled the building,” he said.
While police claimed the residents were awake at the time, locals said they were asleep and alerted only after neighbours spotted the fire.
Family wiped out across generations
The victims belonged to the Kashyap family, who had lived and worked in the same building for decades. The dead ranged in age from 70-year-old Lado Devi — the family matriarch — to three-year-old Jessica.Those killed include Kamal (39), his wife Ashu (35), their daughters Niharika (15), Ivani (6) and Jessica (3); Pravesh (33); Himanshi (22); Deepika (28); and Lado Devi (70).
At Manipal Hospital, eight victims were declared dead, while Deepika was declared dead at IG Hospital. According to relatives, Deepika likely died of suffocation.
Desperate leaps to survive
In a desperate bid to escape, at least three residents jumped from the upper floors.Anil (32) survived after throwing his two-year-old daughter Mitali from the fourth floor before jumping himself. The child suffered fractures in both legs, while Anil sustained head injuries. Sachin (29) also survived with burn injuries after leaping onto an adjacent house.All three remain hospitalised, battling for their lives.
A home, a business, a lifetime lost
The building was owned by businessman Rajender Kashyap (70), who was away in Goa at the time of the incident. He returned hours later to find nine of his family members gone.For nearly five decades, the family had lived together above their shop, their lives deeply intertwined through shared work and daily routines. Survivors who were away that night — including Rajender, his son Sunil, and other family members — are now returning to a home reduced to charred ruins.Neighbours and employees remembered the Kashyaps as a close, generous family. “They treated everyone like their own. Every festival was celebrated together,” said a shop worker.
Case registered, compensation announced
Police have registered a case under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire), 125 (act endangering life) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Compensation has been announced by both the Delhi government and the Prime Minister’s Office. An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh will be given to the families of the deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, and ₹50,000 to the injured. The Delhi government has announced ₹10 lakh for families of deceased adults, ₹5 lakh for minors, and ₹2 lakh for the seriously injured.What remains now is a shattered family, a gutted home, and unanswered questions over whether the tragedy could have been prevented.
