Elderly couple killed in Safdarjung Enclave fire

Delhi Fire Services officials said they suspect that the fire broke out in the kitchen or hall due to an electric fault or short circuit in an appliance

An elderly couple died after a fire broke out at their flat in Safdarjung Enclave, south Delhi in the early hours of Wednesday, police officers and fire officials said.

The fire broke out on the second floor flat where the couple lived alone. (HT PHOTO)

The deceased were identified as Govind Ram Nagpal, 80, and his wife Sheela Nagpal, 78. Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Surendra Choudhary said the couple lived alone in the second floor flat — their daughter lives with her family in Paschim Vihar in west Delhi, while their son lives in the US.

Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said they suspect that the fire broke out in the kitchen or hall due to an electric fault or short circuit in an appliance, but the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be confirmed.

Giving details, DFS officials said that the blaze broke out at around 5.40am, but neighbours noticed the smoke emerging from the house only 15-20 minutes later and called the fire services at 5.57 am.

“We were told it was a severe house fire, and three fire tenders were rushed to the site within 10 minutes. The fire was majorly in domestic articles and two bodies were found,” DFS chief Atul Garg said.

Vinay Kumar, station house officer of the Safdarjung police station, said the building had a single entry point to the staircase.

“The plumbing/ventilation shaft was located next to the staircase and it was filled with smoke which created a hurdle to access it. However, we managed to reach the flat within 10 minutes. The flames had spread across rooms, but we doused the fire,” he said.

The neighbours on the ground and first floor, however, managed to escape — they were able to access the staircase as the fire didn’t reach their floors, officials said.

DCP Choudhary said Govind Nagpal retired as an executive at Kelvinator, while his wife Sheela retired as an official at Vidya Niketan School in Saket.

Police said their initial inquiry has revealed that Sheela Nagpal was bedridden — rescue workers found her body on a bed, tucked under a blanket. They also suspect that Govind Nagpal may have tried to escape but could not reach the main door of the flat because of the fire spreading in the kitchen and drawing room.

“He must have rushed inside the room because there was a window there. But he died due to excessive smoke. His wife also died due to smoke and heat. Neither body was charred,” said Kumar.

DCP Choudhary said, “An ambulance was at the spot, and the couple was declared dead there. Crime and forensic science laboratory (FSL) teams have been deployed. Legal action has been initiated in the case, and the bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the mortuary for preservation and post mortem.”

Naveena Sareen, a neighbour of the deceased, said she saw smoke billowing from the Nagpals’ building and called the police and fire brigade.

“We didn’t know their [the Nagpals’] contact details, so we called other neighbours, who tried to call them… Before they could be rescued, the fire spread to the staircase and they were trapped… The fire brigade came after 10-15 minutes and by then, they had died... They had age-related issues for the past year and had an attendant who would come at 8 am and leave at night,” Sareen said.

Another neighbour, said, “The fire was near the balcony, and the downstairs neighbours could not see the smoke… We called the police, but it was too late.”

HT tried speaking to the family of the deceased about the fire, but they refused to comment. Their son-in-law, who only shared his first name of Maneesh, merely said, “We don’t know how the fire broke out... Police will find out about the cause.”