A devastating fire in the early hours of Tuesday claimed the lives of a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official, his wife, and their young daughter at their flat in North Delhi. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community and raised serious concerns about electrical safety during the winter months.
Tragic Discovery in Adarsh Nagar Quarters
The fire broke out on the fifth floor of the DMRC Staff Quarters near Majlis Park in Adarsh Nagar. The victims have been identified as Ajay Vimal (44), an assistant sub-section engineer with DMRC, his wife Neelam Vimal (43), a homemaker, and their nine-year-old daughter Anvi, a Class IV student. The family was found charred beyond recognition on a single bed inside their bedroom, the epicenter of the blaze.
The first alarm was raised at 2:39 am on Tuesday, January 7, 2026, when the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received an emergency call. Neighbors residing on the floor below were jolted awake by the sound of shattering glass, followed by the sight of thick smoke pouring from the Vimal family's flat above.
Futile Rescue Attempts and Locked Doors
Acting swiftly, concerned neighbors rushed upstairs and repeatedly knocked on the door, but received no response from inside. They then attempted to force the door open but faced a significant obstacle. The flat's entrance was secured by two locked doors—one wooden and another made of metal mesh. While one person dialed the 112 emergency helpline, another used the firefighting equipment available in the building's hallway in a desperate attempt to control the flames.
A DFS firefighting vehicle reached the location by approximately 3 am and managed to extinguish the fire within half an hour. Upon entering, firefighters confirmed the fire was confined to the bedroom.
Preliminary Probe Points to Room Heater
Initial investigations by the police and DMRC officials strongly suggest the tragedy was triggered by a possible explosion of a room heater. It is believed the heater was being used in the closed bedroom and may have sparked a short circuit.
"The MCB (miniature circuit breaker) was triggered shut… there was no electricity in the house when the firefighters entered," explained a DMRC official familiar with the details. The official added that the family likely succumbed to suffocation from the dense smoke before the fire could spread significantly, which may explain why they did not wake up or escape.
Ajay Vimal, who had been with the DMRC since 2006 and was posted at Barakhamba Metro Station, was allotted the flat in 2016. The scene outside the Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital mortuary was one of profound grief as relatives, including Vimal's elder brother and sister who traveled from Aligarh and Noida, gathered to claim the bodies.
The Delhi Police continue to investigate the exact cause and sequence of events. This tragic incident underscores the critical importance of electrical appliance safety, especially during winter when the use of heaters is prevalent.
