Vivek Vihar Fire: Short Circuit Suspected as 9 Killed in Delhi Blaze

Speaking to ANI, Goyal said the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, when several residents were unable to unlock their flats and consequently lost their lives.

He further informed that all the deceased have been shifted to the mortuary of Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital for identification. He added that the bodies, which were severely charred and turned into what he described as "skeletons", will be identified through DNA sampling.

"This is a very sad incident... The incident happened in the building situated in Block B of Vivek Vihar. There are 8 flats in the building. Because of a short circuit, at around 3:45 am, the fire started and spread to all 4 floors of the building. Because some people were unable to open the lock, they lost their lives... Bodies are being taken to the mortuary of GTB Hospital for identification," Goyal said.

"Some bodies have been converted into skeletons... Their identification will be done through DNA sampling. Police have taken photographs of the bodies for their identification... A short circuit is said to be the main cause behind this incident; however, some are saying it happened because of a blast in the AC," he added.

According to Delhi Police, at least nine people lost their lives in the fire that broke out early Sunday morning in the four-storey building in Vivek Vihar area of Shahdara.

A PCR call regarding the incident was received at around 3:48 AM at Vivek Vihar Police Station, following which police teams, along with senior officials, rushed to the spot in Vivek Vihar Phase-I.

The Delhi Fire Service stated that a STOP message was received at around 8:00 AM from DO Mukesh Verma after the fire was brought under control. Officials said domestic articles in at least six flats were involved in the blaze. During the operation, nine charred bodies were recovered from different floors--one from the first floor, five from the second floor, and three from a locked staircase.

Police further confirmed that the fire affected flats on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors. Around 10-15 people were rescued during the operation, out of whom two with minor injuries were shifted to GTB Hospital.

Twelve fire tenders, along with DDMA staff, traffic personnel, and local police, were deployed at the scene.

"During preliminary enquiry, it has been found that nine persons have lost their lives in the said fire incident. Fire was found in the flats situated on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors. During rescue and fire extinguishing operations, 10/15 persons were rescued from the building, out of whom two persons, having sustained minor injuries, were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for medical treatment. 12 fire tenders were at the spot with DDMA staff, traffic officials, and local police," as per Delhi Police.

Local Municipal Councillor Pankaj Luthra also visited the site and stated that rescue and search operations were still underway. He confirmed that the victims were found on multiple floors and that identification would be completed only after DNA testing.

Speaking to ANI, Luthra said, "Upon receiving the information, I rushed to the scene immediately. Upon arrival, I went straight upstairs. I have just come down from the upper floors... On the back side of the second floor, five bodies were found... Another body was found on the back side, and three bodies were located on the top floor... Identification is currently impossible."

"We are still conducting further checks, but until DNA testing is performed, we will be unable to determine the gender of the victims... A total of nine bodies have been confirmed. We are still checking for others. People are attributing this to a short circuit, but nothing has been officially confirmed yet regarding the exact cause of the incident," he further said.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Shahdara District, Rajendra Prasad Meena, said fire tenders reached the spot soon after receiving information around 4 AM and managed to bring the blaze under control. He added that search operations are still ongoing to trace any remaining victims.

Speaking to ANI, Meena said, "Fire broke out in a house in a four-story building in Vivek Vihar, with casualties on the second floor. So far, 3-4 bodies have been found, and the search for the remaining remains is ongoing. We're still searching. We'll let you know once the search is complete."

"Early in the morning, we got a call about a fire. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. 3-4 bodies have been recovered from here. We're still searching. We got the call at around 4 AM," Meena further said.

Further information on the incident is still awaited.

- ANI