New Delhi, Oct 18
A fire broke out in a residential building in Delhi's Shahdara area on Friday morning, resulting in death of two individuals.
A call regarding the fire was received at 5.25 am, following which six fire tenders were rushed to Bhola Nath Nagar to douse the fire. Two children were rescued from the spot.
According to local residents, the blaze erupted around 5:05 AM, causing chaos and panic. Eyewitnesses recalled the alarming scenes as flames engulfed the building in seconds.
One eyewitness said, “I was standing on my balcony, performing prayers when I noticed the fire. It sounded like fireworks. I assumed it was a short circuit and immediately called the fire brigade. Unfortunately, fire trucks experienced significant delays due to parked vehicles obstructing their path, which exacerbated the situation."
According to the residents, it took approximately an hour and a half for fire tenders to arrive at the spot. This apparently allowed fire to intensify and engulf the whole building, leading to injuries and fatalities.
Two individuals were killed in the fire. They were identified as Shilpi Gupta (42) and Pranav Gupta (16). Their bodies were taken out from inside the apartment by the firefighters. Preliminary investigations suggested they died of suffocation.
Manoj Kumar Shetty, a family member, said that the cause of death was suffocation.
“I had stopped the lift and gas pipeline, but it was too late for them,” he said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, however, initial reports point to an electric malfunction.
Two children were rescued from the spot and transported to the hospital for treatment.