A catastrophic fire engulfed a high-rise apartment in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar Phase-1 before dawn on Sunday, leaving a trail of devastation with nine confirmed deaths. The inferno, reported at 3:48 AM to the fire control room, quickly consumed multiple floors, turning the building into a death trap.
Emergency responders mobilized rapidly, deploying over a dozen fire engines. It took nearly two hours of relentless effort to douse the flames by 6:25 AM, followed by exhaustive searches to account for all residents. Police, forensic teams, and disaster management units worked in tandem amid thick smoke and debris.
DCP Shahdara Rajendra Prasad Meena detailed the operation: ‘Rescue teams saved 10-15 individuals, two with minor injuries now under care at GTB Hospital.’ The death count stands at nine, potentially higher pending final checks.
Local residents recounted the horror: screams piercing the night, desperate escapes through stairwells, and balconies crowded with terrified families. Preliminary findings point to no clear cause yet, but electrical short-circuits are a prime suspect in such urban tragedies.
As Delhi grapples with this loss, experts highlight lax fire safety in older constructions. Enhanced drills, better equipment, and regular audits are urgently needed to safeguard lives in the capital’s bustling neighborhoods.
