New Delhi: A devastating fire swept through a residential building in New Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area in the early hours of Sunday, claiming the lives of nine people from two families, including a young child, officials confirmed.
Emergency services were alerted at around 3:48 am, prompting a swift response from police, fire personnel, and disaster management teams to a four-storey structure in Vivek Vihar Phase-I. By the time responders arrived, flames had already spread across multiple levels of the building, particularly affecting the second, third, and fourth floors, according to reports.
According to preliminary information, the blaze led to a major rescue effort as authorities worked to evacuate residents trapped inside. The Delhi Fire Service later reported that nine bodies were recovered from different parts of the building.
On the second floor, five members of one family – Arvind Jain (60), his wife Anita Jain (58), their son Nishant Jain (35), daughter-in-law Anchal Jain (33), and a young grandchild – were among those who lost their lives.
Another three victims were found on the third floor, identified as Nitin Jain (50), his wife Shailey Jain (48), and their son Samyak Jain (25).
In addition, a woman named Shikha Jain (45) was discovered dead on the first floor, while her husband, Naveen Jain (48), survived with injuries.
Officials involved in the operation indicated that between 10 and 15 people were safely evacuated from the building during firefighting efforts. Two individuals who suffered minor injuries were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment.
A total of 12 fire tenders were deployed to control the blaze, with support from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, traffic police, and local law enforcement agencies. The fire was eventually brought under control after several hours.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the incident, and an investigation is currently underway to establish how the fire started.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives.
In a post on X, he said: “The loss of lives due to a fire mishap in Delhi’s Shahdara district is extremely distressing. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.”
