NEW DELHI: A 31-year-old grocery shop owner and his wife died after a fire erupted outside their shop in Delhi’s Tikri Kalan area, causing severe suffocation, police said on Saturday.
Police reached the spot immediately. Preliminary inquiry revealed the fire was likely caused by a short circuit in the shop counter area, igniting plastic packets hanging nearby. The couple—Vineet and Renu—were unable to escape due to smoke. In a bid to flee, they lowered the shutter but got trapped, leading to severe suffocation.
“The police team forced open the shutter using a wooden log and shifted both victims to Oscar Hospital in Bahadurgarh, where they were declared brought dead,” an officer said.
The deceased, natives of UP, are survived by two sons. Renu’s sister, Alka, said the children first noticed smoke and alerted their father, who received an electric shock while trying to open the shutter. She demanded an investigation.