NEW DELHI: Nine people were killed and several others rescued after a devastating fire swept through a four-storey residential building in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar in the early hours of Sunday, with preliminary accounts pointing to an AC blast or short circuit as the possible trigger.According to Delhi Police and the Delhi Fire Service, a PCR call was received around 3.47am, following which fire tenders, police and disaster management teams rushed to the building in Vivek Vihar Phase-I.
The blaze, which engulfed flats on the second, third and fourth floors, was brought under control after nearly four hours of firefighting, with a “stop” message issued around 8am.Fire officer Mukesh Verma said the operation involved ladders, cutting tools and a specialised turntable ladder to conduct simultaneous rescue and firefighting. “We rescued around 15 people. Nine bodies were recovered from different parts of the building, most from the rear side where the fire was most intense,” he said.Officials said the building housed 4BHK flats on each floor and that the fire spread rapidly through domestic items in at least six flats. Protective iron grilles and barred windows significantly hindered rescue efforts, as several residents were unable to escape or be reached in time.
Visuals from Vivek Vihar, Shahdara, where a fire broke out in a four-storey building (Photo: Anushka Kogta)
Victims were found across multiple floors. On the second floor, five members of a family, Arvind (60), his wife Anita (58), their son Nishant (35), daughter-in-law Anchal (33) and a 1.5-year-old child, Akash died. On the first floor, Shikha Jain (45) was among the deceased. On the third floor, another family, Nitin Jain (50), his wife Shailey (48), and their son Samyak (25), also lost their lives.One injured person, Naveen Jain (48), suffered around 30% burn injuries and was admitted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.Officials said it is suspected that many occupants were asleep at the time of fire, leaving them with little chance to escape as the flames spread rapidly.Local accounts suggest the fire may have started between 3.13am and 3.45am, possibly due to an AC blast, before rapidly spreading upward. Some residents said those trapped could not unlock doors or exit due to grilled windows, worsening the toll.
Delhi Police said charred bodies were recovered from the first and second floors as well as a staircase area, and have been sent for postmortem. In some cases, identification may require DNA testing due to the extent of burns.Reacting to the tragedy, chief minister Rekha Gupta said the incident was “extremely tragic” and that the loss of nine lives had left her deeply distressed. She said treatment of the injured was underway and assured that the government was closely monitoring the situation.“All senior officials of the local administration, Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police and DDMA are engaged in relief and rescue operations. Every possible assistance is being extended to the affected families,” she said, expressing condolences and praying for strength for the victims’ families.
Firemen at work after a fire in a four-storey residential building killed at least nine people, at Vivek Vihar area, in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)
Local MLA Sanjay Goyal said a short circuit was believed to be the likely cause, adding that the fire started around 3:45am and quickly spread across all four floors. He noted that some residents were unable to open locks in time, leading to fatalities. He also said the bodies, many severely charred, have been shifted to the mortuary of GTB Hospital and may be identified through DNA sampling.Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said teams reached the spot soon after receiving the call and launched search operations. “Fire broke out in a four-storey building, with casualties mainly on the second floor. We are investigating the cause,” he said.Authorities said the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be confirmed, with possibilities including an AC explosion or electrical short circuit under investigation.(With agency inputs)
