New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI): Three members of a family were killed while two others, including a speech-impaired woman, were critically injured after a fire broke out at a five-storey residential building in southeast Delhi’s Govindpuri area on Friday, police said.
The blaze is suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit, they said.
The deceased were identified as Pankaj (28), his maternal grandmother Sushila Devi (70) and his sister Soni (20), who lived on the third floor of the building, police said.
Pankaj’s other sister Moni (18) and his mother Guddi Devi (50), who is speech-impaired, sustained critical injuries and are undergoing treatment, they said.
Locals said around nine families lived in the building in the Tughlakabad Extension, but many of them were away on vacation at the time of the incident.
The swift response of neighbours and locals helped prevent a higher death toll, they claimed.
Police have launched a probe after registering a case under sections 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) and 287 (negligent or rash conduct involving fire or combustible materials) of the BNS.
A PCR call regarding the blaze was received at 2.31 am.
“Heavy smoke engulfed the building, trapping several residents inside. Eight occupants were rescued from the structure and shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital and the AIIMS Trauma Centre,” DCP (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.
Police said preliminary inquiry suggests that the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit on the ground floor, in which at least six two-wheelers caught fire.
Locals rushed to the spot to rescue those trapped inside before emergency services could reach the spot.
“Many were recording videos. I screamed at them to stop filming and bring buckets of water from their homes so that people could be saved,” Renu Bhutani, a local, told PTI.
Bhutani said she and her son, along with several others, brought buckets of water from their homes and tried to douse the flames.
As thick black smoke engulfed the building, locals claimed they risked their lives, breaking doors, climbing adjoining structures and using makeshift arrangements to rescue the trapped occupants before the firefighters arrived.
The tragedy claimed three lives, but locals said the toll could have been higher had neighbours not launched immediate rescue efforts in the densely-packed locality, where buildings stand almost wall-to-wall, and the lanes are barely wide enough for emergency access.
Pawan, a local shopkeeper who rushed to the spot after hearing cries for help, said smoke from the fire was rapidly moving upward through the building.
“I reached the spot immediately. Some people were brought out from the front side while others were rescued through the rear. Locals tied ropes and even sarees to help people climb down,” he said.
The narrow lanes and the closely built houses became crucial during the rescue operation. People placed wooden planks between terraces and climbed across rooftops to reach those trapped inside.
Several residents also used iron cutters to break grills and create escape routes. Others climbed onto adjoining buildings and poured water on themselves before entering the smoke-filled areas to rescue the occupants.
Pawan said one major obstacle was the locked terrace door.
“The terrace door was locked. Had it been opened in time, perhaps the outcome would have been different. Firefighters and locals managed to bring out the elderly grandmother and tried to revive her by giving CPR,” he said.
According to locals, Pankaj’s family shifted to the building nearly two years ago. His mother is speech-impaired and communicates through gestures.
“She cannot speak, but understands everything and tells us what she needs through signs,” a neighbour said.
As panic spread through the locality, residents broke water tank pipelines and carried buckets of water to contain the flames.
“We kicked the doors open and broke the water pipes. There were four to five water tanks on the roof. People from nearby houses kept passing buckets to those involved in the rescue operation,” Renu, an eyewitness, said.
The entire incident unfolded within minutes, leaving little time for residents to react, she said.
“Everything happened so quickly. People, police personnel and rescue teams did whatever they could. Had the terrace lock been opened earlier, the deaths might have been prevented,” Renu said.
A senior MCD official said that the colony in which the building is located is an unauthorised regularised settlement.
“The building is also an unauthorised regularised structure; we are looking into the matter,” a senior MCD official said.
A police officer said that multiple teams have been deployed to investigate the matter.
“Forensic and local police teams visited the site. We are checking CCTV camera footage from the nearby buildings to know the exact sequence of events,” the officer said.
The incident followed a week after a massive fire ripped through a bed and breakfast hotel in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, killing 23 people, including many foreign nationals. PTI BM SSH SSJ VBH ARI ARI
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
