Four Lives Lost in Devastating Delhi Residential Fire
A massive fire tore through a four-storey residential building in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar on Saturday evening, claiming the lives of four people including a brother and sister. The blaze, which started around 6:24 PM on Mangal Bazaar Road, spread rapidly through the structure, trapping residents inside with limited escape options.
Victims and Rescue Efforts
Two of the deceased have been identified as 38-year-old Satender Gupta and his 40-year-old sister Anita. The other two victims remained unidentified as their bodies were charred beyond recognition. In a harrowing incident, one woman jumped from the terrace in a desperate attempt to save herself and sustained injuries.
Another victim, 40-year-old Mamta, suffered 25% burns but was successfully rescued by fire officials and rushed to the hospital. The Tigri police station received information about the fire at 6:24 PM, but by the time officers reached the location, the building was already completely engulfed in flames.
Fire Origin and Safety Failures
Preliminary investigations indicate the fire originated from a footwear shop on the ground floor. A family lived in a room adjacent to this shop, where firefighters discovered two charred bodies. One additional charred body had been removed from the scene before fire officials arrived.
Fire officials confirmed the building had absolutely no fire safety arrangements. The structure featured only a single entry-and-exit point, a narrow staircase, and almost no ventilation. These deficiencies created deadly conditions as the entire escape route filled with thick smoke, leaving those inside with no safe passage to escape.
Firefighting Challenges and Response
Delhi Fire Services deployed four fire tenders and 20 firefighters to combat the blaze. However, the firefighting operation faced severe challenges due to the building's unsafe and poorly planned structure. The fire quickly spread upward through the building, fueled by household items inside the residences.
Local residents played a crucial role in evacuating several people from the upper floors before emergency services could establish full control. The fire was finally doused at 7:55 PM, by which time the building's exterior had turned completely black from the intense heat and smoke.
Police are currently investigating the exact cause of the fire that turned a regular Saturday evening into a tragic disaster for multiple families in the Sangam Vihar community.
