A major fire broke out in Delhi’s Tughlakabad area in the early hours of Friday, killing three people, just days after the devastating blaze in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar that claimed 21 lives, including several foreign nationals.
According to officials, the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) rescued six people from the burning building and shifted them to a nearby hospital with the help of the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS). Earlier, at least eight injured victims were evacuated and rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for medical treatment.
The fire erupted in a multi-storey residential building located in Gali No. 1 near Naya Tara Apartment on Madhyam Marg, under the Okhla Fire Station-1 jurisdiction. The structure consists of a ground floor and five upper floors and is situated in a narrow lane, making rescue and firefighting operations more challenging.
DFS officials said multiple distress calls reporting people trapped inside the building were received between 2:35 am and 2:37 am. In response, several firefighting units, including three water tenders, two water bowsers, a breathing support unit and a Quick Response Vehicle, were dispatched to the spot. Additional resources were later sent as more emergency calls came in.
The operation was led by Assistant Divisional Officer Yashwant Singh Meena, along with Station Training Officer Mukul Bhardwaj and Station Officers Samarth Lal and Raj Kumar. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire may have started from vehicles parked inside the building, though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed.
Firefighters immediately launched rescue efforts after receiving reports of residents trapped inside the premises. By 3:45 am, officials had brought the blaze under control, and a stop message was issued at 4:00 am after the firefighting operation was completed. Rescue teams, however, continued searching the building and managed to save one more occupant during the final phase of the operation.
The latest tragedy has once again raised concerns over fire safety measures in densely populated residential areas of the national capital, especially after the recent fatal fire incident in Malviya Nagar.