A deadly fire tore through a residential building in Vivek Vihar in the early hours of Sunday, leaving at least nine people dead and several others rescued, officials said.
The blaze was reported around 3.47 am in the Shahdara district of Delhi. According to Delhi Fire Services, multiple teams were rushed to the scene soon after the alert was received.
Officials said a total of 14 fire tenders were deployed by 5 am as crews worked to contain the flames. The fire was brought under control by 6.25 am, though cooling and search operations continued for hours afterwards.
“Fire started in the domestic articles and spread to six flats. Around 12-15 persons were rescued by DFS,” Hindustan Times cited a DFS spokesperson as saying.
Rescue operations underway, death toll rises to nine
Firefighters managed to evacuate over a dozen residents from the building. However, once the flames were doused, teams discovered bodies across different parts of the structure.
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“We searched the houses and found charred bodies. One body from the first floor, five bodies from the second floor and three from the staircase,” the spokesperson further added.
Police confirmed that at least nine people lost their lives in the incident.
Challenging operation on site
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said emergency teams faced difficulties during the operation due to the layout of the building.
“On reaching the spot, fire was found in the flats situated on the second, third and fourth floors of the premises. Fire extinguishing operations rescued 10-15 persons from the building. Two of them had minor injuries and were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment,” he said.
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He added that the firefighting operation extended beyond five hours as several residents were trapped and access to certain areas was limited.
Personnel from the police, fire department, District Disaster Management Authority, and traffic police were present at the site during the operation. “Further enquiry and proceedings at the spot are in progress,” DCP Meena said.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire while search operations remain ongoing. Recent statistics indicate that fire incidents in the capital are rapidly increasing with rising temperatures. More than a hundred fire incidents are being reported in a single day, which is putting additional pressure on the administration.
