NEW DELHI: Four people, including two children, died while five others were rescued after a massive fire broke out at a four-storey residential building in east Delhi’s Shastri Nagar area in the early hours of Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Manoj (30), his wife Suman (28), and two children, aged three and five years.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary said a call reporting a major fire at Gali Number 13, near Sarojini Park in Shastri Nagar area was received at 5:22 am. Subsequently local police, four fire tenders, ambulances and three PCR vans rushed to the scene.
“It was a residential house with four floors and parking on the ground floor. The fire started in the parking area, causing the entire building to fill with smoke. Despite the narrow street, firefighters managed to reach the scene and extinguished the fire,” the senior police officer said.
When the rescue teams conducted a search operation on each floor, a total of three men, four women, and two children were rescued and taken to the Hedgewar Hospital where four, including two children, succumbed during treatment.
Accordingly, the police have registered an FIR under sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304A (causing death by negligence), 427 (mischief causing damage) of the IPC and began probing the incident.
As per the senior officer, a preliminary probe suggested that a spark in the electric wire in the parking area was the reason which led to the death of a couple and two children.
According to the police, a car and a motorcycle were gutted in the fire and blocked the building entrance.
Witnesses said since the entrance was blocked due to the fire, survivors had to run to the terrace and had to jump on the terraces of adjacent buildings to save their lives.
Delhi Fire Service (DFS) Director Atul Garg said the fire had started at the ground floor of the building with an approximate area 150 sq yards. As per the rescue teams, there was only one exit in the building, which led to a narrow alley.