NEW DELHI: A day after a massive fire ripped through a five-storey residential building in southeast Delhi’s Tughlakabad area, killing three members of a family, investigators are examining purported CCTV footage showing a woman entering the building minutes before the blaze erupted, officials said.
According to police, the nearly 50-second video allegedly shows a woman entering the parking area of the residential building around 2.23 am on Friday. Moments later, flames erupted, after which the woman was purportedly seen leaving the spot in haste. The authenticity of the footage, however, has not yet been independently verified.
Police officials said the footage was being scrutinised and all possible angles were being investigated. “We cannot arrive at any conclusion at this stage. The investigation is still underway. We are verifying the CCTV footage and trying to establish the identity of the person seen in the video. Every angle is being examined,” a senior police officer said.
The Delhi Fire Services received a call regarding the blaze at 2.25 am. Six fire tenders and a quick response vehicle were rushed to the spot. The fire was brought under control around 3.45 am and completely doused by 4 am. Officials said the fire broke out on the ground floor of the five-storey building where several vehicles were parked.
The incident claimed the lives of Sushila Devi (70), her maternal grandson Pankaj (28), and Pankaj’s sister Soni (20). Two others—Pankaj’s mother Guddi Devi (50), who is speech-impaired, and Moni (18)— sustained critical injuries and are undergoing treatment.
Forensic experts and crime team personnel visited the sealed building on Saturday to collect evidence, the officials said. Initial inquiry suggested the fire may have started due to an electrical short circuit on the ground floor, though police said the exact cause was yet to be established.
While some residents battled smoke and flames to survive, others escaped tragedy because they were away from the city.
Mohammad Sarfaraz, who lives on the third floor, had travelled to Bihar with his wife and children for summer holidays. His sister-in-law Rizwana said the family was informed about the fire over phone.
“By Allah’s grace, the entire family was in Bihar. Had they been at home that night, the story might have been very different,” she said.
Another resident, Prakash Mandal, who lives on the second floor, said he woke up around 2.30 am feeling suffocated. A 16-year-old girl from a neighbouring building threw a saree towards him, helping him climb down to safety.
“For a moment, I felt I would never see my children again,” he said. Fifth-floor resident Radheshyam said he and his family escaped through the rooftop and later through a neighbouring building after smoke engulfed their flat.