A massive fire broke out in a residential building in Delhi's Vivek Vihar area, killing at least nine people, including a 1.5-year-old toddler. The blaze started in household items and spread to at least six flats, with flames engulfing the second, third, and fourth floors.
Delhi Fire Services officials said they were alerted at 3:47 am and rushed multiple teams to the spot. A total of 14 fire tenders were deployed by 5 am. Rescue operations continued for over five hours due to the complexity of the building's layout and the number of people trapped inside.
Police and fire officials have not confirmed the cause of the fire, but locals suspect an air conditioner blast may have triggered the blaze. The Delhi Chief Minister has termed the incident 'extremely tragic' and expressed grief over the loss of lives.
The victims have been identified as Shikha Jain (45), a 1.5-year-old toddler, Arvind (60), Anita Jain (58), Nishant Jain (35), Anchal Jain (33), Nitin Jain (around 50), his wife Shailey Jain (48), and their son Samyak Jain (25). Naveen Jain (48) was reported injured.
