- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Sun, 03 May 2026 04:29 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Nine people died in a massive Vivek Vihar building fire.
- Toddler and family members among the fire victims.
- AC short circuit suspected cause; 15 people rescued.
A massive fire broke out in a four-story building in the Vivek Vihar area of Shahdara, Delhi, around 4 a.m. Sunday morning. The fire is believed to have been caused by a short circuit in an air conditioner in a room on the third floor.
Initial investigations by the police and fire department have also revealed this cause. Nine people died in this tragic accident, while firefighters rescued approximately 15 others.
This four-story building, located in Vivek Vihar, has eight flats. The fire, reported around 4 am, sent shockwaves through the area. Residents immediately alerted the police and fire brigade.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade team arrived at the scene and brought the fire under control after nearly three hours of hard work. During this time, the fire brigade recovered the bodies of nine people from different floors. The police have sent all the bodies for postmortem.
Massive Rescue Operation
Fire crews from all over the northern region responded with greater than 14 fire tender units to the address to commence the rescue effort that lasted for about 2 hours. Many residents were transported to local area hospitals for treatment, while search/evacuation teams recovered 9 additional charred remains from various floors and stairwells within the facility.
According to officials, around 10-15 individuals were rescued, and several sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment.
Shahdara district Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajendra Prasad Meena said, "We received a call about the fire early in the morning. Fire tenders immediately reached the spot and brought the fire under control."
Authorities say victims were found on multiple floors of the building, as well as the stairway, and that this caused residents to have almost no time to escape once the fire got out of control.
About the Victims
Shikha Jain (45) was the only victim from the first floor to be officially identified.
A group of five family members were found dead on the second-floor backside. The group included a toddler (1.5-year-old) named Akash Jain, Arvind (60), his wife Anita Jain (58), Nishant Jain (35), and daughter-in-law Anchal Jain (33).
Members of the same family were also among the deceased on the third floor, including Nitin Jain (approximately 50) and his wife, Shailey Jain (48). Also on the 3rd floor was their son (25) named Samyak Jain. Nitin Jain and Samyak Jain both owned a restaurant called Indus Flavours at the Cross River Mall in Shahdara.
One of the victims found alive was Naveen Jain (48). He is being treated at the local hospital, officials reported to ANI.
DFS Officer Mukesh Verma said, "Upon getting reports at 3:47 AM regarding a fire in a residential building, our fire tenders rushed to the scene. We deployed 5 ladders, cutting tools, and our specialised turntable ladder to conduct simultaneous firefighting and rescue operations. The building comprises 4 floors with each floor having 4BHK flats. The majority of the fire was concentrated on the rear side of the building, and that is where we encountered the highest number of casualties. Protective grilles and bars had been installed on the windows, which posed difficulties during rescue operations.”
Possible Causes of Fire
Residents of the area reported hearing what they believed to be an AC explosion or possibly an electrical short circuit from overloaded outlets and old wiring in the building. The actual cause is still being investigated.
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Safety Concerns
Initial observation has noted that grilled windows, locked exits and limited escape route restrictions had greatly hampered evacuation efforts, thus converting the four-story building into a trap for those caught inside during the fire.
At approximately 3:48 PM, Delhi Police received reports regarding a fire at this four-storey building located in Vivek Vihar B Block, following which police and fire teams quickly responded to the call for assistance. Fire officials and other agencies were successful in rescuing approximately 15 people from this victimised building throughout their rescue/relief efforts.
There were fire engines, employees and officials from DDMA Traffic and Local Police on scene and, after much effort, were able to bring the fire under control; however, there have been nine confirmed fatalities.