Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced compensation of ₹5 lakh each for the families of six persons who died in a building fire in Jamia Nagar.
He also said ₹2 lakh each would be given to those injured in the incident.
The CM also met the victims who are admitted at Holy Family Hospital.
“It is a very unfortunate incident. The Fire Department managed to bring the fire under control but the lives of six persons could not be saved,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
“The government will ascertain the exact cause of the fire and all efforts will be made to ensure no repeat of such incidents,” he added.
The CM said he has been told that the cause of the fire appeared to be a short-circuit. “The incident will be probed and strict action will be taken if any negligence or lapse is found,” he said.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident. He visited the building and met the bereaved families and also those who are admitted in the hospital.
He then criticised the government for its “inaction and dereliction of its responsibilities to prevent such incidents.”
“It is imperative that all the facts pertaining to the incident must come forward so that recurrence of such incidents can be prevented... I met the eyewitnesses at Zakir Nagar. The residents said there is no fire station nearby and it takes a long time for the fire brigade to reach the place of incident,” Mr. Gupta said.
‘Open a fire station’
The BJP leader demanded that the Delhi government open a fire station in the area.
“Fire due to short circuits in stilt parking is becoming common in multi-storey buildings. The vehicles parked there easily catch fire... I will raise the issue in the upcoming session of the Assembly and will ask the government what steps are being taken to prevent such incidents,” he added.