Vivek Vihar fire: At least nine people, including a 1.5-year-old toddler, lost their lives after a massive fire erupted in a residential building in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar early on Sunday morning, with nearly 20 people rescued by firefighters.
Delhi Fire Services officials said they received a call about the fire at 3:47am and rushed multiple teams to the spot. A total of 14 fire tenders were a part of the rescue efforts by 5am.
According to officials, the fire first caught onto household items and quickly spread to at least six flats.
Suspected short circuit in AC
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva spoke to reporters, saying the fire allegedly started due to sparks in the AC unit.
“The fire services received the first call at 3:45am, and the first fire brigade reached the spot at 3:52 am. About 14 fire tenders were deployed, and 20 people have been saved by authorities,” he added.
However, Sachdeva said, such sparking in wires, especially at night time when people are sleeping, is a matter for investigation.
He expressed his condolences and said the Delhi government stands with the kin of the deceased during this difficult hour.
Further, the Delhi BJP chief stated that a delivery agent, who arrived at the building at the time, spotted the fire first. But by the time he realised what had happened, the situation had snowballed, Sachdeva added.
“In his statement to the police, the delivery agent said that he spotted sparking in the AC outlet outside,” he said.
As the fire rapidly spread through the building and residents tried to rush out, the terrace door was also shut, blocking another escape route, Sachdeva told reporters.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Sanjay Goel told reporters, “A short circuit is said to be the main cause behind this incident. However, some are saying it happened because of a blast in the AC.”
A suspected short circuit in an AC on the second floor reportedly appears to be the root cause of the incident. A family of five died in the blaze on the floor.
An investigation into the matter is underway.
Nine killed
Police identified the nine deceased and shared details. The deceased on the first was identified as 45-year-old Shikha Jain.
Those on the second floor, a family of five, were identified as Arvind (60), Anita Jain (58), Nishant Jain (35), Anchal Jain (33), and Master Akash Jain (1.5).
A family of three were killed on the third floor. They were identified as Nitin Jain (50), Shailey Jain (48) and Samyak Jain (25).
Another resident of the building, Naveen Jain (48), was among those injured in the fire.
Mortal remains of the nine deceased have shifted to the Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital, and the primary identification process is underway.
‘Saw back side of building on fire’
Mayank, a first-floor resident, said he was sleeping when neighbours came and rang his doorbell multiple times.
“When I woke up, I saw the back portion of the building was on fire. I somehow managed to escape from my house. The entire staircase was blocked due to the fire. Residents from flats located at the back of the building got trapped as there was no escape. Their balcony is blocked by a grill,” he told HT.
Ruchi Arora, 60, another resident of the first floor, said they were “stuck inside for an hour and half,” following which the fire department rescued them.
CM says incident ‘extremely tragic’
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta took to X and said the incident in Vivek Vihar is “extremely tragic”, adding that the loss of nine lives in the blaze has left her “deeply depressed”.
“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 added.
She further said that all relevant authorities are fully engaged in relief and rescue operations, adding that the situation is being monitored continuously.
“Our local MLA and municipal councillors 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,” Gupta added.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, also condoled the lost lives in a post on X. He said that authorities have been directed to ensure all necessary assistance to those injured and affected by the incident.
