Fire in South Delhi Residential Building: 20 Residents Escape, Family Rescued from Terrace
New Delhi: A major fire broke out in a residential building in south Delhi's Raju Park on Monday night, leading to a narrow escape for 20 residents. Among those rescued was a family of four, including two children, who were trapped on the terrace as flames and smoke engulfed the structure.
Emergency Response and Rescue Operation
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a distress call at approximately 11:05 p.m., prompting the immediate dispatch of four fire tenders and 24 fire personnel to the scene. A DFS official confirmed that the fire originated on the second floor of the ground-plus-three-storey building. While the blaze caused extensive damage to household belongings and property on the affected floor, no injuries or casualties were reported.
The building housed around 20 residents. Sixteen of them managed to evacuate safely before the fire intensified. However, a family of four became trapped and made their way to the rooftop terrace, where they raised the alarm and called for help. A fire official at the spot noted, “The gate of the terrace was fortunately left unlocked. Had it been locked, it could have led to a tragedy.”
The family was rescued through a joint effort by residents, police personnel, and firefighters. Officials suspended a ladder from the terrace of an adjacent building, which was two storeys lower, and safely brought the four occupants across to safety.
Witness Account
Firoz Saifi, a local resident, recounted, “I was sitting on my terrace when my friends told me that smoke was billowing from a nearby building. I rushed to the spot to see people throwing water at the building. We went to the adjacent building and a police officer went to the terrace to rescue the trapped family. We also helped with the evacuation for some residents before the authorities reached.”
Fire Doused and Investigation Underway
Firefighters managed to douse the blaze within approximately half an hour, preventing it from spreading to adjoining structures. Police have initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.
Separate Fire at Timber Warehouse in Northwest Delhi
In a separate incident, a fire broke out at a timber warehouse near Shastri Nagar metro station in northwest Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. The DFS received a call around 1 p.m., leading to the dispatch of eight fire tenders and 48 fire personnel to the spot.
The blaze started on the ground floor of the timber workshop, where wooden items, including mouldings, were being manufactured. Owing to the presence of highly combustible timber and wooden materials, the fire spread rapidly and extended to an adjacent residential building, affecting its first, second, and third floors. A PG accommodation located nearby remained safe, though it sustained minor external damage due to heat and smoke.
A fire official confirmed that all residents had safely evacuated before the fire spread, and no injuries or casualties were reported. Police stated that the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
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