Delhi tragedy: 9 killed after massive fire engulfs three floors of a building in Shahdara

A CATASTROPHIC fire swept through a four-storey residential building in Vivek Vihar, Shahdara, Delhi, in the early hours of Sunday morning, killing nine people and prompting a major emergency response involving 12 fire tenders, police teams, and disaster management officials.

The blaze, which gutted flats across multiple floors, is among the deadliest residential fires to strike the national capital in recent memory.

A PCR call was received at Vivek Vihar Police Station at approximately 3:48 AM, following which police teams and senior officers rushed to the premises in Vivek Vihar Phase-I.

Fire tenders arrived at the scene by around 3:35 AM, according to eyewitness accounts. The Delhi Fire Service confirmed that a stop message was received at around 8:00 AM from duty officer Mukesh Verma, indicating the fire had been brought under control.

Delhi LG posted on X, "Deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Vivek Vihar. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones in this devastating tragedy. Authorities have been directed to ensure that all necessary medical assistance is provided to the injured, along with immediate relief and support for those affected. Delhi Fire Service personnel and emergency teams are on the ground, working tirelessly to manage the situation. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and strength for the bereaved families during this difficult time."

The Delhi Police have released the identities of all nine individuals killed in the Vivek Vihar building fire in Shahdara.

Five members of the same family were among those who perished on the second floor. Arvind, aged 60, son of Chotte Lal and a resident of B-13, Second Floor, Vivek Vihar, was killed alongside his wife Anita Jain, 58, their son Nishant Jain, 35, his wife Anchal Jain, 33, and the couple's one-and-a-half-year-old son, Akash Jain.

On the first floor, Shikha Jain, 45, wife of Naveen Jain, was found deceased. Her husband Naveen Jain, 48, survived the fire and sustained injuries.

A family of three perished on the third floor. The deceased have been identified as Nitin Jain, approximately 50 years of age, his wife Shailey Jain, approximately 48 years of age, and their son Samyak Jain, approximately 25 years of age.

Delhi Fire Service officials confirmed that the blaze originated in domestic articles across at least six flats within the building. The fire spread rapidly through the second, third, and fourth floors of the structure.

Nine charred bodies were recovered from different locations within the building during search and rescue operations. One body was recovered from the first floor, five from the second floor, and three from a locked staircase. All bodies were subsequently handed over to Delhi Police teams at the scene.

Local Municipal Councillor Pankaj Luthra, who arrived at the scene shortly after being informed of the incident, provided further details of what rescue workers encountered inside the building.

"Upon receiving the information, I rushed to the scene immediately. Upon arrival, I went straight upstairs. I have just come down from the upper floors. On the back side of the second floor, five bodies were found. Another body was found on the back side, and three bodies were located on the top floor. Identification is currently impossible," Luthra told ANI.

He added: "We are still conducting further checks, but until DNA testing is performed, we will be unable to determine the gender of the victims. A total of nine bodies have been confirmed. We are still checking for others. People are attributing this to a short circuit, but nothing has been officially confirmed yet regarding the exact cause of the incident."

Delhi Police confirmed that between 10 and 15 residents were rescued from the building during firefighting and evacuation operations. Two individuals who sustained minor injuries were transferred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for medical treatment.

Eyewitness accounts from residents at the scene painted a harrowing picture of the rescue effort. A resident identified as Rohit said that an air conditioning unit may have triggered the blaze.

"A blast in the AC triggered the fire. Around 12 to 15 were rescued. However, 4 to 5 people are still missing. The fire started at around 03:13 AM. Fire tenders arrived at around 3:35 AM. Efforts are being made to extinguish the fire," he told ANI.

Another resident, Charanjit Singh, described how fire brigade personnel carried out rescues through the building's balconies and windows.

"More than 10 vehicles arrived. The fire brigade rescued around 20 people through the balcony, but I think some people from the backside flats were still able to come outside. I think 1 or 2 families are still under the building," Singh told ANI.

Deputy Commissioner of Police for Shahdara District, Rajendra Prasad Meena, confirmed that fire tenders responded swiftly after the early morning call and that search operations remained active.

"Fire broke out in a house in a four-story building in Vivek Vihar, with casualties on the second floor. So far, 3 to 4 bodies have been found, and the search for the remaining remains is ongoing. We're still searching. We'll let you know once the search is complete," Meena told ANI.

He added: “Early in the morning, we got a call about a fire. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. 3 to 4 bodies have been recovered from here. We're still searching. We got the call at around 4 AM.”

Municipal Councillor Luthra confirmed that search and rescue operations were still underway at the time of reporting, and that the formal identification of all nine victims remains pending the completion of DNA testing.

The cause of the fire has not been officially confirmed. Authorities have said that a preliminary enquiry into the circumstances of the blaze is currently underway. Further information is expected to be released as the investigation progresses.

Further information on the incident is still awaited.