New Delhi: At least nine people were killed after a fire broke out in a residential building in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar early Sunday, officials said.
The incident was reported around 3.48 am at a four-storey building in Vivek Vihar Phase-I, following which police, fire and disaster management teams rushed to the spot.
According to the police, the blaze engulfed flats on the second, third and fourth floors of the building, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
“Around 10 to 15 people were rescued from the premises during the firefighting operation. Two of them, who sustained minor injuries, were shifted to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital,” a senior police officer said.
A fire official said, “It’s a residential building with a single staircase. The terrace premises were also locked… We have nine casualties and have rescued around 15 people. Out of them, one has got 30 per cent burn injuries, and as per the latest information, he is admitted to GTB hospital.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but a resident claimed an AC blast may have triggered the blaze. “A blast in the AC triggered the fire… Around 12-15 were rescued. However, 4-5 people are still missing,” he told news agency ANI.
Another resident said that two families are still stranded in the building.
“The fire brigade rescued around 20 people through the balcony, but I think some people from the backside flats were still able to come outside. I think 1 or 2 families are still under the building,” he said.
A total of 12 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, while teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), traffic police, and local police assisted in the rescue and evacuation efforts.
Those found dead on the second floor have been identified as Arvind Jain (60), his wife Anita Jain (58), son Nishant Jain (35), daughter-in-law Anchal Jain (33), and grandchild Akash Jain.
On the third floor, three members of a family were found dead. They were identified as Nitin Jain (50), wife Shailey Jain (48) and son Samyak Jain (25).
On the first floor, a woman identified as Shikha Jain (45) was found dead, while her husband, Naveen Jain (48) sustained injuries.
Police said the fire was brought under control after several hours. Efforts are underway to determine the cause of the fire, police said.
Further investigation and proceedings are underway.
