New Delhi, 03 May (H.S.):

The identities of all nine people who lost their lives in the early‑morning fire at a four‑storey residential building in Vivek Vihar Phase‑1, Delhi, have been confirmed. In this tragic inferno, five members of the same family perished after being trapped in their burning flat.

According to police, the bodies of five members of one family were recovered from a flat at the rear of the second floor. The deceased have been identified as Arvind Jain (60), his wife Anita Jain (58), their son Nishant Jain (35), daughter‑in‑law Aanchal Jain (33), and their one‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old grandson Master Aakash Jain.

The body of Shikha Jain (45) was recovered from the first floor. From the third floor, the bodies of three members of another family were found, identified as Nitin Jain (50), his wife Shaili Jain (48), and their son Samyak Jain (25). Another resident, Navin Jain (48), who suffered burns, has been admitted to hospital; his condition has not been disclosed in detail so far.

Police said a PCR call reporting the fire was received at Vivek Vihar police station at around 3:48 a.m. Besides police and the fire department, other emergency teams rushed immediately to the spot (House No. B‑13, Vivek Vihar Phase‑1). High flames were seen rising from the second, third, and fourth floors, and firefighters and police launched a joint relief and rescue operation, safely evacuating about 10–15 people trapped in the blaze.

A total of 12 fire tenders were deployed to bring the fire under control, and the blaze has now been extinguished. Fire department spokesperson A.K. Malik said nine people have died in the incident. The fire spread from household items stored in six flats of the building.

During the relief and rescue operation, nine charred bodies were recovered from different floors.

Preliminary probes suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit or other technical fault, and a detailed investigation is underway to establish the exact cause. Police are also examining the building’s fire‑safety arrangements, evacuation routes, and construction standards. The entire neighbourhood remains in mourning in the aftermath of the tragedy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar