A devastating fire broke out in a four-storey residential building in Vivek Vihar Phase-I area of Shahdara, Delhi, late Saturday night, claiming at least nine lives and injuring several others, officials confirmed.
The blaze erupted around 3:47 am on Sunday and quickly spread across the second, third, and fourth floors of the building, trapping residents inside. Emergency services received the alert shortly after and rushed multiple fire tenders to the scene. In total, around 12 fire tenders were deployed to bring the flames under control.
Firefighters, along with police and disaster management teams, carried out extensive rescue operations. Over 10–15 people were rescued from the building, while at least two injured individuals were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment. Authorities said the fire has now been contained, though thick smoke continues to hamper search operations on the upper floors.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) R. P. Meena said that rescue and search operations are still underway and the exact cause of the fire will be determined after a detailed investigation.
Preliminary reports suggest that a possible AC blast may have triggered the fire, according to a local resident, though officials have not confirmed this claim.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be established, and authorities are continuing efforts to ensure no one remains trapped inside the building.
The incident has once again raised concerns about fire safety in densely populated residential areas of Delhi, especially during peak summer months when such incidents tend to rise.