At least nine people were killed in a massive fire that broke out early Sunday morning in a four-storey residential building in Shahdara, East Delhi.
The fire was reported around 3:48 am at the building in Vivek Vihar Phase-I. Upon receiving the alert, police, fire, and disaster management teams rushed to the scene. A large-scale rescue operation was launched as the blaze spread across the second, third, and fourth floors of the building.
Nine charred bodies were recovered from different floors during the operation: one from the first floor, five from the second, and three from a locked staircase.
Authorities deployed at least 12 fire tenders, along with personnel from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), traffic staff, and local police. The fire was brought under control by 8 am.
According to Delhi Police, between 10 to 15 people were rescued from the building. Two of the rescued individuals, who sustained minor injuries, were transferred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment.
Authorities are currently preparing to conduct DNA tests to identify the nine bodies recovered.
“We are still checking for others,” said Local Municipal Councillor Pankaj Luthra. "While some people have attributed the fire to a short circuit, the exact cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed by officials," he added.