NEW DELHI: A major fire broke out on the ninth floor of a residential building in Dwarka, leading to the deaths of three family members who jumped from their balcony to escape the flames on Tuesday, police said.
One of the videos doing rounds shows a house engulfed in flames, with massive flames and smoke billowing out. In another video, the children can be seen jumping from the balcony followed by the man.
The incident took place at Shabad Society in Dwarka Sector-13, and the victims include 40-year-old Yash Yadav, his 11-year-old daughter Ashima and his nephew Shivam. His wife was, however, rescued and is undergoing treatment.
At the time of the incident, there were 12 people inside the house, including Yash’s sister, her children and sister-in-law.
The Delhi Fire Services officials stated that they received information regarding the blaze at 10:01 am. Thirteen fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Five people were injured in the incident, of which three succumbed to their injuries.
“We saw three helpless individuals on the balcony pleading for help. They were asked to move to the shaft area of the building for rescue, but they were unable to do so and jumped from the structure,” Amit Kumar, an eyewitness, said.
However, the relatives of the victims believe that had mattresses been placed on the ground, the three would have been saved. The bodies will be taken to Etah (UP), their native place, for the final rites, they added.