Toddler among 9 killed, AC blast suspected: What we know about massive fire in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar

AT to the lowest degree niner people were killed after a monolithic discharge bust out in a residential building in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area of Shahdara early Sunday morning, police said, adding that more than a dozen residents were rescued during the operation.The blaze was reported in the early hours, with police saying a PCR call was received at 3:48 am at Vivek Vihar police station. Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said they were alerted a minute earlier, at 3:47 am, and rushed multiple teams to the spot. A total of 14 fire tenders were deployed by 5 am.Flames spread across multiple flatsAccording to fire officials, the fire started in household items and quickly spread to at least six flats. “Around 12-15 persons were rescued by DFS,” a spokesperson for the fire department said.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena said the fire had spread across flats on the second, third and fourth floors.“Fire extinguishing operations rescued 10-15 persons from the building. Two of them had minor injuries and were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment,” he added.Rescue continued for over five hoursOfficials said the firefighting and rescue operation continued for over five hours due to the complexity of the building’s layout and the number of people trapped inside.DCP Meena noted that flats located at both the front and rear of the building made access difficult for firefighters.Police, along with the Station House Officer (SHO) and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), reached the spot soon after the alert. Apart from fire personnel, teams from the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), traffic police and local police were also deployed.Nine bodies recovered after blazeAfter bringing the fire under control by around 6:25 am and fully dousing it after 8 am, firefighters began search operations inside the building.“We searched the houses and found charred bodies. One body from the first floor, five bodies from the second floor and three from the staircase,” the DFS spokesperson said.DCP Meena confirmed that nine bodies were recovered and added, “Further enquiry and proceedings at the spot are in progress.”Locals suspect AC blast as triggerResidents in the area suggested that an air conditioner blast may have triggered the fire, though officials have not confirmed the cause yet.Rohit, a local resident, said “a blast in the AC triggered the fire” and added that “around 12-15 were rescued,” while “4-5 people are still missing.” He said the blaze began at “around 03:13 am,” with fire tenders reaching by “around 3:35 am,” reported news agency ANI.A delivery agent who arrived at the building late at night was the first to notice the fire. By the time he understood the gravity of the situation, it had already escalated rapidly. In his statement to police, he said he initially saw sparks coming from an external AC outlet.Another resident, Charanjit Singh, said “more than 10 vehicles (fire tenders) arrived” and that “around 20 people” were rescued through balconies. He, however, indicated that “1 or 2 families are still under the building.”“More than 10 vehicles (fire tenders) arrived. The fire brigade rescued around 20 people through the balcony… some people from the backside flats were still able to come outside… I think 1 or 2 families are still under the building,” he told ANI.Victims identifiedPolice shared details of the deceased, identifying one victim from the first floor as Shikha Jain (45).Those found on the second floor backside included a 1.5-year-old toddler. Arvind (60), Anita Jain (58), Nishant Jain (35), and Anchal Jain (33) were also found on the second floor.On the third floor, members of the same family were among the victims, including Nitin Jain (around 50), his wife Shailey Jain (48), and their son Samyak Jain (25). Naveen Jain (48) was reported injured.CM calls incident ‘extremely tragic’Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta termed the incident “extremely tragic” and expressed grief over the loss of lives.“The loss of 9 lives in this accident has left me deeply distressed. Treatment of the injured in the accident is ongoing at the nearest hospital, and I pray for their swift recovery. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with the affected families. I pray to God to grant them the strength to endure this difficult time,” she said in a post on X.She added that the situation is being closely monitored, with “all senior officials of the local administration, DDMA, Delhi Fire Service, and Delhi Police… fully engaged with utmost promptness in relief and rescue operations.”