New Delhi, Slum residents in Rohini Sector 17 pelted the fireplace brigade with stones when it reached the spot to place out a blaze, a supply on Tuesday stated.
Firefighters pelted with stones throughout Rohini slum dousing operation: Supply
Greater than 800 shanties in a jhuggi cluster in Rohini have been decreased to ashes after a large hearth broke on the market Sunday, killing two youngsters.
“Yes, when our teams reached the spot, some residents of the same area started pelting stones at firefighters, which added more challenges in dousing the flames,” stated the supply.
In response to a slum resident, who misplaced his nephew within the hearth, the fireplace brigade reached the spot after round 40 minutes of the primary name – sufficient time for the slum to be decreased right into a charred heap.
“It took them around 40 minutes to reach. We had lost everything by then,” Josan, 52, a maternal uncle of two.5-year-old Alam, who perished within the hearth, stated.
He didn’t witness any stone pelting, he added.
The supply stated the fireplace tenders needed to negotiate heavy site visitors and slim lanes to achieve the spot.
“Our firefighters are capable of handling any situation. But sometimes they have to face a lot of challenges on the ground. Firefighting is one of the most challenging jobs, as the risk of getting injured or even losing life is very high. All we want is cooperation,” he stated.
A Delhi Fireplace Service official on Monday conceded that the firefighters had a tough time reaching the spot due to the buildings surrounding the hutments.
“There is an apartment complex with boundary walls in front of the affected area that made access extremely difficult. Fire engines had to be lined up one behind the other, and the operation got delayed,” he stated.
Apart from Alam, the son of a ragpicker, there was Sayda, aged three, whose physique was extracted from the stays.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta condoled with the slum residents for his or her loss and prolonged the federal government’s assist.
The native MLA and the sub-divisional Justice of the Peace reached the spot to coordinate aid efforts, together with the supply of cellular bogs, medical help, and meals for the affected residents, Gupta stated.
Fireplace calls surge in Delhi over three years, however deaths dip in 2025:
Regardless of a constant rise in fire-related calls over the previous three years, Delhi witnessed a drop in fire-related fatalities in 2025, in line with knowledge launched by the Delhi Fireplace Service.
Between January 1 and April 28, 2025, the DFS acquired 6,626 fire-related calls – a pointy 14.8 per cent improve in comparison with 2024, which noticed 5,772 calls throughout the identical interval.
In 2023, the quantity stood at 4,904, marking a 17.7 per cent soar in 2024 and a cumulative 35.1 per cent rise over the three years.
Whereas hearth incidents climbed steadily, the variety of deaths dropped this 12 months.
In 2025, 23 individuals died in fire-related incidents a 52 per cent decline in comparison with 48 deaths in 2024, and a 23 per cent drop from the 30 fatalities reported in 2023.
The pattern in accidents, nevertheless, confirmed a combined sample. Burn accidents rose from 163 in 2023 to 230 in 2024 a 41 per cent spike. However in 2025, the quantity fell to 172, reflecting a 25.2 per cent lower from the earlier 12 months, although nonetheless 5.5 per cent increased than the 2023 determine.
Officers say that whereas the rise in calls suggests growing hearth dangers, the discount in fatalities could point out improved emergency response and public consciousness.