- At least nine people died in a fire in a four-storey building in Vivek Vihar Delhi
- The fire started on the second floor around 4 am and spread to upper floors
- Fourteen fire tenders responded and controlled the fire by 6 am after two hours
Nine people died, including a one-year-old child, and two others were injured in a fire that broke out in a four-storey building in Delhi's Vivek Vihar area this early morning.
The fire broke out on the second floor of the building around 4 am, following which as many as 14 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to put out the fire and carry out rescue operations. On reaching the spot, officials found the fire had spread to the third and fourth floors of the building.
Vivek Vihar is a prime location in East Delhi.
More than a dozen people were rescued from the building, officials said.
The injured people have been taken to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment.
The identities of all nine victims have been established, the officials said.
The most number of casualties were reported on the second floor, where five people lost their lives - Arvind Jain (60 years), his wife Anita Jain (58 years), Arvind's son Nishant Jain (35 years), Nishant's wife Anchal Jain (33 years), and their son Akash Jain (1.5 years).
On the third floor, three members of a family were killed. They have been identified as Nitin Jain (50 years), his wife Shailey Jain (48 years), and their son Samyak Jain (25 years).
On the first floor, Sikha Jain (40 years) was killed, while her husband, Naveen Jain (48 years), was injured and is currently receiving treatment.
The fire was brought under control after two hours - by 6 am.
Visuals showed many parts of the building burnt and smoke coming out from the top floor.
"Early in the morning, around 4 am, a call was received about a fire. Fire tenders and local police were immediately rushed to the spot. It took about two hours to bring the fire under control, after which search operations were carried out," DCP Shahdara, Rajendra Prasad Meena, said.
According to the police, they have recovered all the bodies and handed them over to the Delhi Police crime team.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta called the incident "extremely tragic" and extended support to the affected families.
"The fire incident in a building in Vivek Vihar is extremely tragic. The loss of 9 lives in this accident has left me deeply distressed. Treatment of the injured in the accident is ongoing at the nearest hospital, and I pray for their swift recovery. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with the affected families. I pray to God to grant them the strength to endure this difficult time," she wrote in a post on X.
She added, "All senior officials of the local administration, DDMA, Delhi Fire Service, and Delhi Police are fully engaged with utmost promptness in relief and rescue operations. The situation is being continuously monitored, and every possible assistance is being ensured for those affected. Our local MLA and municipal councilors are also extending their support in the relief efforts. The Delhi government stands firmly with the affected families in every situation during this difficult time."
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," he told news agency ANI.
