A devastating fire in southeast Delhi's Tughlaqabad Extension claimed three lives and left five injured on Friday. Many residents believe the death toll could have been much higher if not for summer vacations, which had taken several families out of the building.
Residents' Accounts
Rizwana, 38, standing outside the charred building, said, "Had it not been summer vacations, more people would have been home and the death toll could have been much higher." Her elder sister Shabana, 40, who lives in the building with her husband and three children, was visiting their village in Bihar when the fire broke out.
Mohan Prasad, 30, had a narrow escape. He left for Ajmer with his wife just hours before the blaze. They were near Jaipur when a neighbor called around 3 am about the fire, prompting them to return to Delhi.
Surajbhan, 33, was visiting his ailing father in Rohini with his wife and six-month-old baby. He blamed the cramped stilt parking area packed with two-wheelers for the quick spread of the fire. "All stilt parking areas here operate the same way. We were not aware of any electric vehicle parked in our building," he said.
Zabi, a father of three daughters, was attending his sister's wedding in Ayodhya. His neighbor Ram Nath's family was also there. "Only my brother and I were at home. My wife, two children, sister-in-law and two nieces have gone to our hometown Ayodhya for summer holidays. We survived by jumping across to the neighbouring building through a window," Nath said.
Prakash Mandal, 35, whose flat was on the second floor, rappelled down using a saree thrown by a 16-year-old neighbor. His wife and two children were at their village for summer vacation.
Concerns Over Commercial Establishments
As workers shifted goods from the plastic godown on the ground floor, residents questioned the presence of commercial establishments in the residential building, including a two-storey clothing store with a rear entrance. They pointed to similar godowns operating in other residential buildings in the narrow lane.
All residents said they moved into the building about two years ago after buying flats from two builder brothers who had redeveloped the property. Many had taken loans to fulfill their dream of owning a home. "Our insurance agent has told us we will receive some compensation, but we still don't know how much," said Prasad.
Neetu Devi, 42, and Radhe Shyam Srivastav, 48, who lived on the fifth floor, escaped with their three daughters after a neighbor cut open the iron grille on their window. "We were shouting for help for a long time, holding on to our daughters. We can never forget the horror of that night. None of us knows whether we will ever be able to move back," Neetu said.
