Nine Dead in Delhi Building Fire; Iron Grills, Locked Terrace Hindered Escape

The backside of four storey building in Vivek Vihar, Shahdara, where a fire broke out early Sunday morning. (Photo: Anushka Kogta) NEW DELHI: Protective iron grills sealing one side and a locked terrace cutting off the only escape turned a four-storey building in Delhi's Vivek Vihar into a death trap as a pre-dawn fire tore through it, killing nine residents. The blaze was reported at around 3.48am on Sunday. According to police, the fire started on the second floor and quickly spread to the upper levels, engulfing flats on the second, third and fourth floors. An official said the incident occurred while most residents were asleep, making evacuation more difficult. "This is a very sad incident. The incident happened in the building situated in Block B of Vivek Vihar. There are 8 flats in the building. Because of a short circuit, at around 3.45 am, the fire started and spread to all 4 floors of the building. Because some people were unable to open the lock, they lost their lives. Bodies are being taken to the mortuary of GTB Hospital for identification," he said. Fire officials said structural barriers inside the building significantly hindered rescue operations. "Rescue operations faced difficulties as it was dark early in the morning. When our team arrived at the scene, we discovered that it was a four-story building fitted with protective grills on the front facade, which made it difficult to gain entry and evacuate the occupants," he said. Fourteen fire engines were dispatched to the scene, and teams from the police and disaster management authorities joined the operation. Officials said 15 people were rescued from the building, but nine others could not be saved. The victims' bodies have been moved to the mortuary for identification, while authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire.