Delhi fire: Nine killed as blaze engulfs residential building in Vivek Vihar

At least nine people were killed and four others injured after a fire broke out in a four-storey residential building in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar in the early hours of Sunday (May 3). Prima facie, the blaze is suspected to have been triggered by an AC blast.

The incident was reported around 3.48 am, 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.

The bodies of five of the nine victims were recovered from the second floor of the building, while three were found in the staircase. The remaining body was recovered from the first floor. While over a dozen people have been rescued so far, it is feared that the death toll may rise further.

"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 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. Police said the fire was brought under control after several hours.

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. Further investigation and proceedings are underway.

(With agency inputs)