TNNTNNNew Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed deep grief over the fire in a residential building in Vivek Vihar, Shahdara, which caused nine deaths.He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 to those who are injured.Union home minister Amit Shah also expressed sorrow, calling it “extremely heartbreaking.” In a post on X, he extended condolences to families who have lost their loved ones and prayed for strength to those grieving. He said local authorities were providing the highest level of medical care to the injured.Lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and chief minister Rekha Gupta, too, expressed grief.Sandhu wrote in a post that the authorities would ensure all medical assistance is provided to the injured, and immediate support to those affected.The chief minister said all senior administration officials, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Delhi Fire Service, and police were engaged in the relief and rescue operations. “The injured are undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital. I pray for their speedy recovery. In this hour of grief, my heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families,” she said.Union minister of state Harsh Malhotra and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva visited the site in Vivek Vihar, and met the families. They also visited an injured person at GTB Hospital, BJP said. Sachdeva said the loss was irreparable for the affected families.Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said that the Rekha Gupta govt should be prompt in providing help without playing petty politics. He also demanded a high-level probe into what caused the blaze.An AAP delegation led by MLAs Sanjeev Jha and Kuldeep Kumar visited the injured in hospital and later the site, where they spoke to residents. The party drew parallels with the Palam fire a month-and-a-half ago and asked Gupta to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents.Former Delhi chief minister Atishi said: “This is clearly the result of serious systemic negligence. How long will safety standards continue to be ignored? Will any accountability be fixed on the administration? My condolences to the bereaved families. May God give them strength.”
