Mother, kids killed in Delhi flat fire
On Tuesday morning, police reported that a fire broke out in a third-floor apartment in Delhi’s BK Dutt Colony, Lodhi Colony area, resulting in the deaths of a 40-year-old woman and her two young daughters.
According to police, information about a fire at apartment B-80 in BK Dutt Colony, Jor Bagh, was received around 10.26 am. Police personnel and the Delhi Fire Services responded quickly and brought the fire under control with the help of multiple fire tenders.
The victims were identified as Akansha Sharma (40), her 12-year-old daughter Aradhya, also known as Mitzy, and her eight-year-old daughter Mihika, also known as Ritzy. All three were found dead inside the third-floor apartment.
The Delhi Fire Services deployed a water tender, a water bowser and a breathing apparatus tender to the scene. Fire officials said the blaze had been contained by around 11.10 am, after which cooling operations continued. A DFS official told The Pioneer that the fire started among domestic items. He noted that the flat comprised a huge single hall and the fire was likely small-scale. He further mentioned that the fire did not spread beyond the third floor to the rest of the building.
Neighbours noticed smoke emerging from the building’s third floor and several people went to help extinguish the fire and rescue those trapped inside. A relative, Devender Sharma, rushed to the house after learning about the incident. He said, “I have no idea how the fire started. We were told that the fire was confined to one room.”
Police said preliminary inquiry revealed that Akansha Sharma had been undergoing treatment for a mental health condition since 2020. At the time of the incident, other family members, including her husband Mohit Sharma, an advocate, were present on the second floor of the building, police said.
The District Crime Team and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) examined the spot. Investigators said no signs of foul play have emerged so far, though all possible angles are being examined.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined and will be established after a detailed forensic examination, police said. Authorities have informed the victims’ family and are extending assistance. Police added that the investigation is ongoing and further details will be shared once the cause of the blaze is established.
