Infant among 9 dead in Delhi fire as sealed balconies, locked roof turn fatal

A late-night fire at a multi-storied residential building in the Capital on Sunday claimed nine lives, including the life of a one-and-a-half-year-old. The fire, which was reported at 3.48 am on Sunday, took over four hours to fully douse. According to authorities, locked terrace access, iron grilles-sealed balconies, and a single entry-exit staircase left residents with no escape route as flames engulfed the second, the third and the fourth floor of the building.

“On receipt of the information, police staff, along with the SHO, Vivek Vihar, and ACP, Vivek Vihar, immediately proceeded to the spot. The fire brigade and crime team also reached the spot at premises B-13, Vivek Vihar Phase-I,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Delhi said. Twelve fire tenders were deployed alongside DDMA staff, traffic officials, and local police.

The blaze was brought under control only at 8 am. Between ten and fifteen people were rescued during firefighting operations. Two persons with minor injuries were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB) for treatment.

All nine bodies were brought to GTB Hospital. Dr Praveen Kumar of GTB Hospital confirmed that the survivor, Naveen Jain, 48, was admitted for treatment. Two other persons were given first aid at the emergency department and later discharged. All nine post-mortems were conducted on Sunday itself, and the bodies were subsequently handed over to the families from the mortuary.

According to the Delhi Fire Service, one body was recovered from the first floor, five from the second floor, and three from the staircase area near the terrace level. A firefighter involved in the operation said the locked terrace was a decisive factor.

“The access to the roof was locked, and because of this, they could not save their lives. If it had not been locked, they might have survived,” he said. He added that the rear side gate was covered with a grille, requiring firefighters to cut through it with tools.

Five ladders were deployed from different sides, along with a turntable ladder vehicle, to rescue approximately fifteen people. The fire intensity was significantly higher in the four flats at the rear of the building.

The nine deceased have been identified across three families. On the second floor: Arvind Jain, 60, son of Chotte Lal, resident of B-13 Vivek Vihar; his wife Anita Jain, 58; their son Nishant Jain, 35; daughter-in-law Anchal Jain, 33; and grandson Master Akash Jain, approximately one and a half years old. On the first floor: Shikha Jain, 45, wife of Naveen Jain. On the third floor, an entire family: Nitin Jain, approximately 50; his wife, Shailey Jain, approximately 48; and their son Samyak Jain, approximately 25.

The cause of the fire has not been officially established and remains under investigation. Officials suspect a short circuit or a blast in an air conditioning unit on the second floor may have triggered the blaze. A delivery agent who reportedly first noticed the fire told police he had spotted sparking in an AC outlet outside the building.

The building is approximately seven years old. Most of its eight flats are owner-occupied. The rear portion, where casualties were highest, had balconies sealed with metal grilles and plastic netting, which firefighters said severely complicated rescue access.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed distress and said the Government stands with the affected families. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu directed authorities to provide all necessary medical assistance and immediate relief to those affected. Investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condoled the loss of lives in the East Delhi building fire and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 to those who were injured.

President Droupadi Murmu too offered condolences to the bereaved families. “The news of the loss of lives due to a fire in Shahdara, Delhi, is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the swift recovery of those who have been injured,” Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.