As scorching heatwave grips Delhi, fire department gets 200 calls daily

The Delhi Fire Services has been receiving an average of 200 calls daily, with the temperatures rising to over 48 degrees Celsius in Delhi in the past two weeks. 

Till May 26, the fire department has received 2,991 fire-related calls. However, in winters only 70 to 80 calls are received on average. 

Over the past two weeks, while Delhi has been suffering from an extreme heat wave, fire-related events have been reported in parking lots, hospitals, and residential areas.

Chief of the Delhi Fire Service Atul Garg blamed improper maintenance and overuse of air conditioning (AC) units for the rise in fire incidences.

Seven newborns lost their lives earlier on Saturday night when a large fire consumed a children's hospital in Vivek Vihar, east Delhi. 

Earlier, a major fire broke out at a parking lot in the Madhu Vihar area of Delhi on May 29 morning.
 
According to officials, the fire which occurred at around 1:17 am, gutted as many as 19 vehicles.
 
The Fire Service Department swiftly dispatched nine fire tenders to the scene after receiving the alert of the fire.
 
The parking lot is situated near the Mandawali police station in East Delhi.