New Delhi, May 03: A devastating fire broke out in a four-storey residential building in the Vivek Vihar area of East Delhi’s Shahdara district late Saturday night, claiming at least nine lives and leaving several others injured, officials confirmed.
The incident occurred in Vivek Vihar Phase-I, where flames rapidly spread across the second, third, and fourth floors of the building. The Delhi Fire Services received the emergency call around 3:47 am on Sunday, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.
Firefighters rushed to the scene with multiple fire tenders, while Delhi Police, disaster response teams, and local authorities joined the effort to evacuate residents trapped inside the smoke-filled structure.
According to officials, around 10 to 15 people were successfully rescued during the operation. Two of the rescued individuals sustained minor injuries and were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) R.P. Meena said search operations continued for hours, especially on the upper floors, due to dense smoke conditions inside the building. He added that the fire has now been brought under control, but cooling and search operations were still underway at the time of reporting.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed. However, some residents claimed that a possible explosion in an air conditioner unit may have triggered the blaze, though authorities have not verified this statement.
Investigators will determine the cause following a detailed forensic and structural inspection.
Authorities are still working to establish the identities of the deceased, while rescue and recovery operations continue.
