3 min readNew DelhiMay 6, 2026 01:41 AM IST The first fire tender which reached East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar where a fire at a residential building on Sunday claimed nine lives was “only half-filled, while the second arrived late and the escape ladders brought by the team were short in height,” according to sources in the Delhi government. Amid allegations of “lapses” in the initial response, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has called a high-level meeting on Wednesday with the District Magistrate, Delhi Fire Services, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Police, Urban Development department and other departments concerned. She will also review Delhi’s preparedness for summer at the meeting. “The first fire tender that reached the spot was half-filled and the second one was a bit delayed. People also complained that there was a lack of adequate safety equipment and measures and that there was no rescue net and that they (fire officials) asked for mattresses…The ladders the firefighting team brought along were not tall enough to reach the top floors of the building…,” a government …