Tragic Fire in Delhi's Budh Vihar Claims Lives of Young Family of Three
A devastating fire engulfed a cluster of jhuggies in northwest Delhi's Budh Vihar in the early hours of Wednesday, resulting in the tragic deaths of a couple and their two-year-old daughter. The incident has left the local community in shock and mourning.
Firefighters Battle Blaze for Hours
Delhi Fire Services received a distress call around 1:35 am regarding the blaze that had rapidly spread across multiple shanties. In response, seven fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters worked tirelessly for nearly three hours, managing to bring the fire under control by approximately 4:35 am.
Officials from the Delhi Fire Services reported that the fire consumed five jhuggies, which housed a total of eight residents. While five individuals managed to escape in time, a family of three became trapped inside their dwelling.
Victims Identified and Cause of Rapid Spread
The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Musibur, aged 27, his wife Munara, aged 24, and their two-year-old daughter Maymuna. Authorities indicated that the fire was fueled by plastic waste and scrap materials stored both inside and around the jhuggies, causing it to spread with alarming speed.
Families and neighbors recounted that the trio was trapped because they had bolted their door from the inside—a precaution they took to ensure their child's safety. It is suspected that the plastic sheet roofing of the jhuggi collapsed during the blaze, further obstructing any potential escape routes.
Heartbreaking Attempt to Save Child
Munara's mother, Marufa, aged 45, shared a poignant account with TOI. "At first I thought they had all escaped. We saw people running out of their shacks as the flames began to engulf the place, but only when we saw them throwing out Maymuna we realised they were still stuck inside. They tried to save Maymuna… through a small opening in their wall made of cloth and sheets, but she couldn’t survive," she said.
Other residents confirmed that the couple made a desperate attempt to save their daughter by throwing her out of the burning jhuggi, hoping she would evade the flames. Tragically, falling scrap material and molten plastic surrounded her, and she did not survive. Inside the jhuggi, her parents were burnt alive, with only their skeletal remains discovered in the debris.
Grief and Lost Dreams
Hours after the fire, Marufa stood amidst the ruins, grieving the profound loss. "We were looking forward to going to Calcutta and were supposed to leave on April 25 to vote, but this tragedy happened. She was my only daughter. She got married just three years ago. They worked very hard, dealing in scrap to make a living, and wanted to admit Maymuna to school. They wanted a different future for her," she lamented.
TOI's investigation of the site revealed charred remains including twisted metal, burnt bottles, paint canisters, and the skeletal frame of a refrigerator. Small coolers and gas cylinders lay blackened, and in one corner, what appeared to be bone fragments were visible in the ashes.
Police Investigation Underway
A forensic team visited the location to examine stoves and small cylinders as part of the investigation. Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Budh Vihar police station. Efforts are currently underway to determine the possible cause of the fire, with authorities also looking into who may have disposed of the waste that contributed to the blaze.
