Iron grills, parked vehicles choking exit prevented rescue from Vivek Vihar inferno, recall neighbours

Iron grills, parked vehicles choking exit prevented rescue from Vivek Vihar inferno, recall neighbours

New Delhi, Iron grills meant to deter thieves turned death traps, and parked vehicles choked exits as neighbours frantically tried to rescue those trapped inside the blazing building in Vivek Vihar before first responders arrived, locals recalled a day after the tragedy.

Iron grills, parked vehicles choking exit prevented rescue from Vivek Vihar inferno, recall neighbours

A devastating fire ripped through a residential building in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar early Sunday, leaving nine people from two families, including a toddler, dead. An air-conditioner blast is suspected to have triggered the blaze, officials said.

On Monday, a heavy silence hung over the narrow lanes, broken only by intermittent wails emanating from grieving households and the sharp intrusion of police and ambulance sirens. Residents stood in hushed groups, speaking in low voices, while others simply stared into the distance unblinking.

The usual morning bustle of the neighbourhood felt distant, replaced by a lingering sense of unease.

The rear side of the building bore the worst of the destruction. Blackened walls, charred balconies stood as stark reminders of the crawling flames, with soot still clinging to windows.

Inside, glimpses of burnt interiors and smoke-stained stairways could be seen as forensic teams and police personnel moved in and out, documenting the aftermath. Children returning from school slowed down as they passed the site, looking up at the scorched structure where the tragedy had unfolded.

People who rushed out of their homes said the fire spread at a terrifying speed, leaving little time to react. A domestic help living nearby recalled waking to chaos.

"I woke up after I heard people screaming, and then sirens. When I stepped out, there was thick smoke and panic everywhere. These grills are put up in most houses here because of theft, but today they stopped people from getting out. It was so scary," she said.

The rear portion of the building had been fitted with iron grills by the previous owners, a common feature in the area. But as the blaze intensified, the enclosed spaces slowed movement, preventing escape, residents claimed.

"These grills were to protect our homes from thieves; many buildings in this area have such grills. Now people are saying, if the grill was not there, they could have survived," a resident said.

A neighbour pointed to how multiple vulnerabilities collided. "There are eight flats and most families have two cars. The parking area and the lane were already congested, and there were additional vehicles because some relatives were visiting a family for a birthday. Even the guard was not there, he had left just a day before. It all added to the chaos," he said.

Another resident said concerns over safety had been raised earlier. "We bought these flats in 2018; I always said there should be another exit. But no one thinks about what may happen in cases of emergency," he added.

Another neighbour from the adjacent building, whose windows cracked in the heat, said people did whatever they could in those desperate moments, to help those caught in the inferno.

"We threw mattresses on the ground so people could jump. There was no time to think, we had to save whoever we could," he said.

Among survivors is Vanshika , a resident of the same building, who is now preparing to move out.

Recounting the fateful moments, she said, "My mother woke up first, and woke us all. The house was filled with smoke, we couldn't see anything. We were taken out through the balcony. I came down first, then my family. It felt like we wouldn't make it. It was so scary."

At a tea stall across the street, the owner shared what his father, who was there early in the morning, had told him. "He said the first thing he saw was a bright orange glow, and a thick column of smoke; then there were sirens and ambulances rushing in," he said.

Fire broke out around 3.50 am in a four-storey building in Vivek Vihar Phase-I and rapidly spread from the rear portion, engulfing flats from the first to the fourth floor, trapping residents inside as thick smoke filled the structure.

A preliminary inquiry suggests the fire may have originated due to an air-conditioner blast on a lower floor, with strong winds intensifying the flames, a senior police officer said.

The building had a single central staircase serving as the only entry and exit, while the terrace door was locked, further restricting escape.

Thick smoke, enclosed balconies and the grilled rear portion compounded the difficulty for residents trying to flee.

Twelve fire tenders, along with teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority , police and volunteers, were pressed into service and the blaze was controlled after several hours, officials added.

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