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Just days before Diwali, panic broke out in central Delhi after a massive fire engulfed Brahmaputra Apartments, a residential complex that houses several Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, on Saturday afternoon.
Situated on Dr Bishambhar Das Marg, the multi-storey complex lies in one of the most high-security zones of the capital, barely 200 metres from the Parliament House.
Visuals from the scene showed dark plumes rising from balconies as residents scrambled for safety while several fire engines raced to the site to douse the flames.
Authorities said efforts to bring the situation under control are underway, as firefighters continued to battle the blaze
Here’s what we know of the situation so far
How fire erupted at MPs’ quarters
According to ANI, the blaze began on one of the upper floors of Brahmaputra Apartments, rapidly spreading and filling the building with dense, black smoke. Visuals showed structural damage to the bottom two floors of the apartments.
Vinod, a resident of the complex, shared his harrowing experience, saying his dog was trapped inside their burning apartment. “My daughter is about to be married in a few months, and all the jewellery, gold, and clothes we had bought are inside,” he said.
He added that his wife and one of his children suffered burn injuries and were rushed to the hospital for treatment. “We have no clue how the fire started. My house is on the third floor,” he told reporters.
PA of Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, Kamal, told PTI that he was in the office when he first heard about the fire. “We have lost everything - jewellery, clothes, fridge, and all other household items, including documents. I’ll have to start my life from zero," he said.
Brahmaputra Apartments, where the incident occurred, is a relatively new housing complex for Members of Parliament. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2020 as part of a major redevelopment project.
According to a government press release, the site was redeveloped from eight old bungalows, each over 80 years old, into 76 modern flats. The complex was designed with several eco-friendly features, including bricks made from fly ash and construction waste, double-glazed windows for better insulation, energy-efficient LED lighting, motion sensors, rainwater harvesting systems, and rooftop solar panels.
Despite its modern design and safety features, the cause of the fire remains unclear, with residents shocked that such an incident could occur in one of the city’s most secure government housing complexes.
Fire brigade delayed, no water in pipes
Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale took to social media to raise an alarm, alleging that fire tenders took nearly half an hour to arrive at the scene.
“HUGE FIRE at Brahmaputra Apartments at BD Marg in Delhi. All residents are Rajya Sabha MPs. The building is 200 meters from Parliament. NO FIRE BRIGADE SINCE 30 mins,” Gokhale wrote on X (formerly Twitter), criticising the Delhi government for its slow response.
According to reports, the fire department received a call at around 1:20 pm and soon dispatched six fire tenders to tackle the blaze. Firefighters were later seen battling thick smoke as they tried to douse the flames and rescue trapped residents.
However, several residents alleged that the building’s fire safety system had failed when they needed it most. Eyewitnesses claimed that the fire hydrants were not working and that no water was available in the tanks or pipes.
“We checked the fire extinguishing facility after spotting the fire, but there was no water. The fire hydrant was not working,” one resident told NDTV.
Officials are yet to begin a probe into the cause of the blaze. The cause remains unknown and is being treated as the subject of investigation.
With input from agencies