In the last 15 years till 2024, the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received more than 4 lakh emergency calls, while 6,611 people in the national capital lost their lives in mishaps, including fire, building collapse and road crashes.
According to official data available on the website, the least number of calls were received in the 2011-12 fiscal at 18,143, while the highest were received in 2022-23 at 31,958.
The lowest number of injuries was reported in 2010-11 at 243, while 3,232 persons sustained injuries in mishaps in 2023-24, making it the highest.
The death count was lowest in 2016-17 at 277, while 1,303 people lost their lives in 2023-24, making it the fiscal with the highest number of fatalities, according to the data.
From 2009-10 fiscal to 2023-2024 fiscal, Delhi recorded 6,611 deaths in incidents where the DFS was called for assistance, according to data available on the department's website.
A senior official told PTI that these figures include not only fire-related incidents but also building collapses, road accidents, and other emergencies where the department's help was required.
The city saw a steady escalation in fatalities from 2020, recording 346 deaths in 2020-21, 591 in 2021-22, accounting for a nearly 70 per cent increase. The death count saw a drastic rise in 2022-23 with 1,029 casualties (a 74 per cent rise), and 1,303 in 2023 to 24 (a 27 per cent increase), the data read.
When asked about the increase in numbers the official said that there was no particular reason for the surge in the number of incidents after 2021-22.
"These incidents occur unexpectedly and are beyond our control," he said.
Delhi has witnessed several massive fire incidents in recent years. According to officials, the reasons for fires range from illegal operations and scant regard for safety norms.
Last year in February, a massive fire ripped through a paint factory in outer Delhi's Alipur area, claiming the lives of 11 people. The fire was preceded by a blast and soon it spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops.
On May 13, 2022 at least 27 people were killed after a massive blaze engulfed a commercial building, comprising basement and four floors, in the Mundka area of west Delhi.
The incident had stirred memories of another inferno -- the 2019 Anaj Mandi blaze that claimed 44 lives, making it the most severe fire incident in the national capital after the 1997 Uphaar Cinema tragedy that claimed 59 lives.
In February 2019, a massive fire swept through a four-floor hotel in central Delhi's Karol Bagh in the early hours, killing at least 17 guests, including two people who jumped off the building in a desperate bid to save themselves.
The previous year, another massive fire ripped through a firecracker storage unit at Bawana that left 17 people, including 10 women, dead.
According to the data, there were 216 'medium' and 37 'serious' fire incidents reported between 2009-10 to 2023-2024.
The lowest number of 'medium' incidents was recorded in 2014-15 (seven), while the highest was in 2018 to 19 (27). 'Serious' incidents were nil in 2015-16, the lowest in the 15-year period, and peaked at six in 2016-17, it showed.
Explaining how fire levels are categorised, a senior official said, "Whenever a call is received, the station in charge of the area goes to the spot. If he finds that his fleet and resources are not enough, it is labelled a 'Make-4' level response. If that still does not work, we escalate it to 'Make-6' level, and after that it is declared a 'medium' fire, which generally involves 20 to 25 fire tenders." He added that if the fire remains uncontrolled, it is declared a 'serious' fire, which usually requires 30 to 35 fire tenders.
"If even that level of deployment does not suffice, the situation is declared a 'major' fire, involving 35 or more fire tenders," he said.
The officer said such major fires are extremely rare, adding that in his 33 years of service, they have occurred only twice, once in Jwalapuri, and again in Okhla, that required multiple days of operation.
In 1995, the then hub of old plastic scrap at Jwalapuri in Paschim Vihar was destroyed after a blaze ripped through the market. The trade then moved to Mundka.
A massive fire broke out in a chemical factory in Okhla Phase-II in 2002, spreading rapidly to nearby slum clusters and residential areas. The blaze, which raged for several hours, required the deployment of more than 120 firefighters to bring it under control.
According to the DFS website, the department operates 66 fire stations and maintains a fleet of 245 firefighting vehicles and other support units.
The official said the department remains alert and ready round-the-clock to assist citizens during emergencies across the national capital.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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