Four dead in fire at west Delhi electronics showroom

Fire officials said the blaze started around 2.30pm and within minutes, engulfed the entire floor, with customers and staffers rushing out

Three women and a man, all in their 20s, who were working at an electronics showroom at Raja Garden, died in a fire at the facility on Monday afternoon. The four victims were on the second floor and were trapped by the fire, which started on the first floor of Mahajan Electronics, fire department officials said.

A view of the showroom. (HT Photo)

The deceased were identified as Aayushi, 22, Payal, 20, Amandeep Kaur, 22, and Ravi Kumar, 28. A fifth person, identified as Sandeep, was on the second floor; he was rescued but is critical, police said. The victims were on their lunch break and were sitting in a small corridor when the incident took place.

Fire officials said the blaze started around 2.30pm and within minutes, engulfed the entire floor, with customers and staffers rushing out. “There were at least 20-30 people inside the building. We all ran out. We don’t know what happened but we saw smoke and everyone was screaming. However, the four to five people, who were on the second floor, were trapped. There is only one main staircase which is the entry/exit point. We called police and Delhi Fire Services…,” a staffer, who refused to be named, said.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Vichitra Veer said, “Around 3pm, we received a call about the fire. There were people trapped inside. The SHO and the fire brigade rushed with other personnel. We found five persons were there and firefighting operation was going on. After some time, all of them were rescued and taken to different hospitals. However, four persons have lost their lives in this unfortunate incident while one is under treatment.Appropriate proceedings are being initiated.”

Delhi Fire Services said the building did not need a non-objection certificate, but it had only one entry/exit point and the space on the second floor was filled with electronic items and boxes. A team led by additional divisional officer Sarbjit Singh said the fire had spread to the lower floors.

“We deployed five fire tenders. While the fire was not huge, the victim were stuck because of lack of entry/exit points and heavy smoke. We suspect the fire started because of a short circuit. Teams were working on the ground and first floors but could not reach the second floor due to fire and smoke. There was also no entry from the terrace. We had to drill a hole in the building to access the second floor…The victims suffered injuries because of suffocation, not burns…” Singh said.

Fire officials said washing machines were stored in the basement, while the ground floor hosted fridges and other electronics. The first and second floors, besides showcasing electronic items, also housed a godown, they said.

The owner of the store did not respond to calls and messages from HT seeking comment.

Police said they were in the process of registering a case.

Jagjit Singh, Kaur’s father, said, “I was sitting at a friend’s shop when I received a call around 4pm from an unknown person saying that my daughter has been injured. I was not told about the fire. I rushed to the shop and found she was not there. Nobody is telling me what happened. Some people said a short circuit occurred while others said a computer blasted.”

“I rushed to the hospital and found my daughter dead. I am shocked. I had met her few hours back and we were talking about food. She was a hardworking girl and was trying to support the family while also studying,” he said.

Kaur was a college student and lived with her family in Raghubir Nagar. Her family said she started working at the store in October 2024 and handled the cash counter.

Her uncle Sunil Singhla alleged that neither the owner nor the manager was found at the store.

“They did not even reach out to us. My daughter died because of their negligence. She just wanted to earn money, become independent and fund her own studies. What will I tell her mother now?” said Singh.