Delhi is having a nightmarish summer of fire accidents, a late-night fire in south Delhi’s Tughlakabad area has once again brought the city’s fire safety concerns into critical focus, with officials confirming that eight people had to be rescued after flames and thick smoke spread through a ground-plus-five-storey residential building located inside a narrow lane. However, While DFS teams managed to rescue eight people, including two girls who were brought down from the terrace after firefighters broke open the terrace gate, reports came in stating that three people have died in the incident. Further details from the hospital are awaited.

The fire, according to DFS officials, started in the ground-floor parking area, where three scooties, two motorcycles and one bicycle caught fire. The flames and smoke quickly travelled upwards, affecting the entire building.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received the first distress call at around 2:25 am from Gali No. 1, near Naya Tara Apartment, Madhyam Marg, Tughlakabad and swung into action. Three water tenders, two water bowsers, one breathing set vehicle and a quick response vehicle were rushed to the spot under the supervision of fire official Yashwant Meena.

The Tughlakabad blaze comes right after two weeks amid repeated fire incidents reported across Delhi in recent months, raising questions over Delhi’s building safety, fire preparedness, and enforcement of safety norms in residential areas.

Despite government and civic authorities’ claims of improving management and making Delhi safer and reliable to live, incidents like these expose the continuing risks posed by narrow streets, unauthorised alterations, inadequate fire access, and densely constructed buildings.