New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) As the national capital mourns loss of lives in a hotel fire, the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that India reported an average of more than 16 deaths every day due to fire accidents in 2024, underscoring persistent gaps in the country’s firefighting infrastructure and emergency response capabilities.
A total of 5,971 fire accidents were reported across the country during the year, resulting in 5,888 deaths and injuries to 330 people. More than six out of every 10 fire-related deaths were reported from residential and dwelling buildings, which accounted for 3,555 fatalities.
The fire tragedy in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, which claimed 21 lives, has once again drawn attention to concerns over
fire safety and emergency response capabilities in the city.
Delhi Fire Service data shows that fire calls increased from 24,686 in 2019-20 to 31,575 in 2023-24, while fatalities surged from 308 to 1,303 during the same period — an increase of more than 320 per cent in just four years.
Injuries nearly doubled from 1,638 to 3,232 despite Delhi having one of the country’s largest firefighting networks, comprising 71 fire stations and 245 firefighting vehicles and support units.
The trend mirrors concerns flagged by the 15th Finance Commission, which cited NCRB data showing that 1,85,383 people lost their lives in fire accidents between 2010 and 2019, averaging 56 deaths every day.
Describing fire services as the country’s “core first responders”, the commission said they lacked adequate resources to provide effective fire safety cover.
Citing estimates by the National Disaster Management Authority, it pointed to deficiencies of 97.54 per cent in fire stations, 80.04 per cent in firefighting and rescue vehicles and 96.28 per cent in fire personnel across the country.
Recent incidents suggest many of those concerns remain unresolved.
In March this year, nine members of a family, including three children, died after a fire broke out in a multi-storey residential building in Delhi’s Palam area. Neighbours later alleged that a hydraulic platform malfunctioned for around 45 minutes during rescue efforts.
A major blaze at Gaur Green Avenue in Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram exposed what residents described as a dangerous gap between rapidly rising high-rises and the firefighting equipment available to respond to emergencies.
Reports indicated that Ghaziabad’s firefighters can reach only up to the fourth floor, while Noida’s tallest firefighting ladder can reach only 42 metres despite the presence of towers rising between 150 and 300 metres.
Infrastructure shortages, however, are only part of the problem. The TRP Game Zone fire in Rajkot that killed 33 people in 2024 involved a facility that had never applied for a mandatory fire no-objection certificate (NOC), while investigators probing a Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people in December 2025 have alleged that it was operating without mandatory statutory clearances, including a fire NOC.
To address such gaps, the 15th Finance Commission recommended Rs 5,000 crore for strengthening fire services, leading to the launch of the Scheme for Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services in States in 2023.
According to a Ministry of Home Affairs reply in Parliament, nearly Rs 2,016 crore had been released by March 2026 for expansion of fire stations, training centres and procurement of modern equipment.
Fire services are a state subject and also a municipal function under the Constitution. While the Centre provides policy support and funding assistance, responsibility for maintaining fire services, enforcing safety norms and upgrading infrastructure rests primarily with state governments and urban local bodies.
As the latest Delhi tragedy highlights, the challenge extends beyond firefighting alone to urban planning, enforcement of safety norms and preparedness for emergencies in increasingly dense and vertical cities. PTI MHS ABS MHS KVK KVK
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