A devastating fire at a small grocery store in northwest Delhi's Tikri Kalan area on Friday night claimed the lives of a young couple, who tragically died of suffocation after being trapped inside their own shop. The incident has left their two minor sons orphaned and a family shattered.
The Fatal Night and Rescue Efforts
The Delhi Fire Services received an emergency call around 9 pm reporting the blaze. In response, two fire tenders and a team of ten firefighters were immediately dispatched to the location. A police team from the Mundka station also rushed to the scene near Lekhram Park, where they were met with flames and dense smoke erupting from the front counter of the general store.
Preliminary investigations by the police point towards a probable short-circuit near the counter as the cause of the fire. The flames are believed to have quickly ignited the plastic packets of groceries stored in the shop, filling the confined space with toxic smoke within moments. Authorities have stated that the exact cause of the short-circuit will be thoroughly examined.
A Desperate Attempt That Turned Fatal
In a desperate bid to save themselves and possibly contain the fire, the couple, identified as Vineet (31) and his wife Renu (29), lowered the shop's shutter from the inside. This act, however, proved catastrophic. It cut off all ventilation and trapped them inside with the rapidly thickening, lethal smoke.
By the time police and local residents managed to force open the shutter using a wooden log, the couple had already collapsed. They were rushed to a hospital in Bahadurgarh but were declared 'brought dead' upon arrival. The shop was completely gutted, its walls covered in thick black soot, with charred remains of biscuits, chocolates, and other items lying outside.
Family in Mourning and Lingering Questions
The couple, who hailed from Tilhar in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, leave behind their two sons, Aditya (10) and Rubal (9). Their grandmother, Shaampyaari, Vineet's ailing mother, is now left to care for the young boys. The family's financial struggles had deepened after Vineet suffered an injury at his previous job in a medical-products factory. He had rented the shop to manage his mother's medical expenses and provide for his family.
"He was my only child. I lost my daughter earlier this year," a grieving Shaampyaari said. "He was doing everything for us... Both he and Renu just wanted a better life for their children."
Renu's sister, Alka, who lives on the first floor of the building, recounted hearing their cries and running downstairs. Her husband, Brijesh, was the first to attempt breaking open the shutter with an iron rod but received an electric shock and was injured. Alka also raised a disturbing allegation, contradicting the police theory, claiming, "We don't understand why it is being said that they closed the shutter. Someone else closed it from the front."
