NEW DELHI: Five people died and two were critically injured after a fire broke out at a four-story residential building in northwest Delhi’s Pitampura on Thursday. Officials said although the blaze was confined to a ground-floor apartment, the smoke filled the staircase and prevented residents in the upper floors from escaping.
The fire department said eight fire tenders with 50 firefighters were at the scene to control the fire at ZP block of Pitampura.The blaze was reported at 8pm.
Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Jitendra Kumar Meena said the dead included three women. “The terrace door was locked. We broke it open with tools and saw four people lying near the staircase. We suspect that the residents tried to open the lock, but due to the smoke, they fell unconscious,” the officer said.
Most of the residents rescued from the upper floors were in a critical condition, officials said, adding that the fire may have started due to a “short-circuit or due to a heater”.
Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said the building has one staircase that was filled filled with smoke. He said all residents from the upper floors were in critical condition.
“We formed two rescue teams. One went into the building and took out three people from the top floors while the approached from an adjacent house,” an officer said.
One of the rescuers said different families were living on each of the four floors.
In video clips of the incidents, fire officials were seen rescuing the injured with thick blankets to shield them after the fire was brought under control. Officials were also seen navigating through dimly lit stairwells, where water cannons and fire extinguishers were deployed as the entire stairway had been affected with smoke
According to data accessed by TOI, the fire service received more than 3,563 calls about residential fires last year.
The fire department said eight fire tenders with 50 firefighters were at the scene to control the fire at ZP block of Pitampura.The blaze was reported at 8pm.
Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Jitendra Kumar Meena said the dead included three women. “The terrace door was locked. We broke it open with tools and saw four people lying near the staircase. We suspect that the residents tried to open the lock, but due to the smoke, they fell unconscious,” the officer said.
Most of the residents rescued from the upper floors were in a critical condition, officials said, adding that the fire may have started due to a “short-circuit or due to a heater”.
Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said the building has one staircase that was filled filled with smoke. He said all residents from the upper floors were in critical condition.
“We formed two rescue teams. One went into the building and took out three people from the top floors while the approached from an adjacent house,” an officer said.
One of the rescuers said different families were living on each of the four floors.
In video clips of the incidents, fire officials were seen rescuing the injured with thick blankets to shield them after the fire was brought under control. Officials were also seen navigating through dimly lit stairwells, where water cannons and fire extinguishers were deployed as the entire stairway had been affected with smoke
According to data accessed by TOI, the fire service received more than 3,563 calls about residential fires last year.