People gather outside a four-storey building where a fire killed at least nine people, at Vivek Vihar area, in New Delhi. ( Photo: PTI)
New Delhi, May 3: A fire broke out in a residential building in Vivek Vihar early Sunday, leaving nine people from two families dead, including a toddler.
The incident was reported around 3:48 am at a four-storey building in Vivek Vihar Phase I. Police, fire services, and disaster management teams rushed to the spot following the alert.
According to police, the blaze engulfed flats on the second, third, and fourth floors, triggering a large-scale rescue operation. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said nine charred bodies were recovered from different parts of the building.
"One body was recovered from the first floor, five from the second floor and three from the staircase which was found locked," the DFS officer said.
Those who died on the second floor have been identified as Arvind Jain (60), his wife Anita Jain (58), their son Nishant Jain (35), daughter-in-law Anchal Jain (33), and grandchild Akash Jain.
On the third floor, three members of another family-Nitin Jain (50), his wife Shailey Jain (48), and their son Samyak Jain (25)-were found dead.
On the first floor, a woman identified as Shikha Jain (45) died, while her husband Naveen Jain (48) sustained injuries.
A senior police officer said that 10 to 15 people were rescued during the firefighting operation. Two individuals with minor injuries were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.
A total of 12 fire tenders were deployed to douse the flames, with teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), traffic police, and local police assisting in rescue and evacuation efforts.
The fire was brought under control after several hours. Authorities are working to determine the cause, and further investigation is underway.
PTI