A horrific fire at a government-run night shelter in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar area has resulted in the tragic deaths of two individuals, laying bare severe safety lapses in facilities meant to protect the vulnerable. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at the Coolie Camp shelter, claiming the lives of Arjun (19) and Vikas (42), and leaving a community in shock.
A Structure With No Escape
What survivors and locals describe is a scene of sudden terror and a frantic struggle for survival. The fire broke out around 3 am, engulfing the porta cabin-style tin structure with alarming speed. The shelter, built with flammable tin sheets and thermocol, turned into an inferno within minutes. The most chilling revelation from the aftermath is that the shelter had no rear exit, its back wall tightly pressed against a cluster of shanties.
Amarjit, a sweeper who was asleep inside, recounted the moment panic set in. "My bed was in a corner. When I saw the flames flicker, I started shouting: ‘Wake up! Fire! Run!'" he said. He and a few others managed to dash out through the front door. However, for Arjun and Vikas, the clutter and the boxed-in design of the tin shed, with no alternative escape route, proved fatal.
Futile Rescue Efforts and Survivors' Trauma
Outside, locals awoke to chaos and launched a desperate attempt to control the blaze. People climbed onto the roofs of nearby shanties, throwing buckets of water at the raging fire, but their efforts were in vain against the intensifying flames. "The leaping flames nearly touched the electric wires outside our house," recalled Deepkala, a local resident, shuddering at the memory.
Another survivor, Subranshu Das, a former university security guard living at the shelter, emphasized how little time they had. "We heard a loud noise, and suddenly the place was lit up by orange-yellow flames. These materials caught fire instantly. We had nearly no time," he stated. The air around the gutted shelter remained heavy with the acrid smell of burnt plastic and damp soot long after the fire was extinguished.
Aftermath and Accountability
The charred remains of the shelter told a grim story. The main door was found locked, and through gaps, one could see the caved-in roof, burnt metal frames of cots and chairs, and twisted ceiling fans. The NGO Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM), which runs the facility for the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), has announced plans to shift the remaining inmates to another shelter in Munirka.
However, critical questions about fire safety norms and oversight remain unanswered. Locals pointed out the obvious death trap design. "Even if there had been a tiny exit, things might not have ended like this," one said. Sanjay Singh, who recorded videos of the fire, mourned the loss, "We knew both the deceased. Arjun lived here for a long time. His father is in hospital waiting for his body. It's heartbreaking." Queries sent to DUSIB regarding the fire and safety protocols have, so far, not received a response.
This tragedy underscores a persistent failure in ensuring basic safety for occupants of temporary shelters, turning a place of refuge into a site of unimaginable horror.
