Pre-Dawn Blaze After AC Blast Kills 9 In Delhi Building
3 May 2026 9:06 AM IST3 May 2026 9:06 AM IST
According to the police, the blaze engulfed flats on the second, third and fourth floors of the building, prompting a large-scale rescue operation
A fire tender outside the four-storey residential building where a fire killed at least nine people, at Vivek Vihar area, in New Delhi. (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore)
New Delhi: A pre-dawn fire allegedly caused by an air-conditioner blast tore through a four-storey residential building in Vivek Vihar, killing nine people from two families and injuring several others, police said on Sunday. Central locking systems, thick iron grills at the back of the building, and a single staircase that served as the only internal escape route turned fatal when a massive fire tore through the building. Firefighters said evacuation was hampered by narrow access lanes and locked exits, including a terrace door and a staircase gate.
The blaze was reported at 3.48 am and quickly spread across flats on the second, third and fourth floors, trapping residents as smoke filled escape routes.
With the electricity supply disrupted amid the fire, residents said centrally locked doors may have become difficult to open, while the lift became unusable. At the rear, thick iron grills and enclosed balconies further complicated the evacuation and rescue process, they added.
“There is one central staircase which serves as both the entry and the exit. The rear side gate was covered with a grill, which we had to cut using tools,” a firefighter involved in the operation said.
He added that to rescue around 15 people, the team deployed ladders from different sides and used a turntable ladder vehicle.
The building had parking space on the ground floor, eight flats above it with four each on the front and back sides, a lift adjacent to the staircase, servant quarters, and a narrow rear gate opening into a cramped back lane lined with adjoining structures and overhead wires.
Describing the rescue efforts, Sanjeev Rana, member of a non-profit disaster management team, said, “We received a call around 6 am. When we went upstairs with the fire department personnel, we first saw one charred body on the second floor, then five bodies on the next floor. After that, we moved to the top floor.”
On the top floor, three people had tried to save themselves but could not escape because the door leading to the rooftop had a central locking system, he said.
Nine bodies were recovered from different parts of the building. On the second floor, Arvind Jain, 60, his wife Anita Jain, 58, their son Nishant Jain, 35, daughter-in-law Anchal Jain, 33, and their toddler grandson Akash Jain were found dead. On the third floor, Nitin Jain, 50, his wife Shailey Jain, 48, and their son Samyak Jain, 25, died in the fire. On the first floor, Shikha Jain, 45, succumbed to injuries, while her husband Naveen Jain, 48, was injured and shifted to hospital, police said.
Fire officials said around 10 to 15 residents were rescued during the operation. Teams had to break open a rear grille and deploy ladders from multiple sides to evacuate those trapped inside.
According to the Delhi Fire Service, 12 fire tenders and teams from multiple agencies were pressed into service. Officials said the intensity of the fire was higher in the rear portion, where four flats were severely affected.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident “extremely distressing” and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Union home minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the loss of lives.
Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said rescue and relief measures were carried out and assistance was being provided to the affected families.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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