New Delhi, 27 April

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday condoled the loss of lives in a fire at a slum in northwest Delhi's Rohini and said the government is taking all necessary measures to help the affected people.

The local MLA and the sub-divisional magistrate immediately reached the spot to coordinate relief efforts, including provision of mobile toilets, medical assistance and food for the affected residents, Gupta said in a post on X.

Two children died and five people were injured in the massive fire that gutted over 800 densely packed shanties in the jhuggi cluster this morning.

Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky as firefighters toiled for three hours to douse the flames.

Gupta expressed her "deep sadness" over the tragic incident and extended her condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.

"We are monitoring the situation to ensure that timely support and rehabilitation are extended to every affected individual. The government of Delhi stands firmly with all those impacted during this difficult time," she said in her post.

"Displaced families are being shifted to nearby schools where temporary shelters and all essential facilities are being arranged for their well-being," she added.

Earlier in the day, the AAP targeted Gupta over her silence on the incident.

"There was a huge fire in the slums of Rohini at 1 pm today. Two children lost their lives in that fire. And what was Chief Minister Rekha Gupta doing at that time? She was listening to 'Mann Ki Baat'. The whole day passed - forget about going to the slums of Rohini, the Chief Minister did not even find time to tweet about this," Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi said in a post on X.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said on X that CM Gupta and party unit president Virendra Sachdeva expressed sadness over the fire incident.

On the instructions of the chief minister, relief measures are being taken and the government is providing necessary help to those affected, Kapoor said.