India, March 21 -- Two days after a massive fire ripped through a four-storey residential-cum-commercial building in southwest Delhi's Palam, killing nine members of a family, authorities have zeroed in on four critical aspects: response time, escalation speed, functioning of rescue equipment, and overall fire department preparedness, officials aware of the matter said on Friday.

Two days after the blaze ripped through the four-storey building in southwest Delhi, police said witnesses - including neighbours who first spotted smoke and fire and first responders - indicated the fire originated in the basement. While a short circuit is suspected, the exact electrical appliance that triggered it remains unknown.

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