Man, two kids die after jumping from burning flat in Dwarka

A fire in Dwarka's Sector 13 killed three, including a father and his children, who jumped from the 10th floor. Investigation underway.

A devastating blaze in Dwarka’s Sector 13 claimed three lives on Tuesday morning when a 45-year-old man, his 10-year-old daughter, and 12-year-old nephew were forced to jump to their deaths from the 10th floor of the burning building.

Firefighters try to douse the blaze on a building at Shabad Aparment in Dwarka’s Sector 13 on Tuesday. (VIPIN KUMAR/HT)

The deceased were identified as Yash Yadav, the owner of a penthouse in Dwarka’s Shabad Apartments, his daughter Ashima Yadav and nephew Shivam Yadav. The family lives in a duplex on the top two floors of the building.

While fire officials said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, initial investigation has pointed to the fire originating from a temple area on the ninth floor around 9.30am, which then rapidly spread through PVC panelling in the luxury apartment.

Delhi Fire Services received the emergency call at 10.01am, initially reporting a fire on the seventh floor. Eight fire tenders responded to the scene.

“At 12.30pm, the fire officer reported five injured persons were taken to hospitals,” said Atul Garg, DFS director. “Four went to Akash Hospital, one to Indira Gandhi Hospital. Two children were declared dead at Akash, and the man died at IG Hospital—all before DFS arrival.”

At the time of the incident, nine family members were present in the apartment for a family event in Uttam Nagar.

While six others survived, two women—Yash’s wife Mamta and sister-in-law Madhuri—were treated for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning and minor injuries before being discharged. The survivors included Madhuri’s husband Ankit, their one-year-old daughter, and two relatives, all rescued by local residents.

The blaze in the top floor of the building, surrounded by other residential buildings led to widespread panic. Several neighbours and passersby recorded videos of the incident, showing black smoke billowing out of the upper floors, and flames leaping out of the flat. Other videos from the spot showed the horrific moment where the three people leap out of the balcony.

Dr Sharang Sachdev, senior consultant at Akash Healthcare, confirmed the children were brought in around 10.30am by bystanders. “They had burn injuries and deformities from the fall. Postmortem will determine the exact cause of death,” he said.

Police said that Yash was taken to IG Hospital where he was declared dead.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Nishant Gupta said that the preliminary probe revealed that the fire started from the temple on the ninth floor. “It’s suspected to have started from the temple and then spread due to the PVC panels in the house. We have registered a case under section 287 (negligent act related to fire) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and begun a probe,” he said.

Ankit Yadav, 22, one of the survivors, recounted the desperate final moments. He was on the 10th floor with two relatives when Yash arrived with the children, alerting them to the fire.

“He said he was calling the fire department and police, and we should wait. There was heavy smoke. After waiting, we ran to the balcony trying to reach lower floors,” Ankit said. “My two relatives and I reached the eighth floor, broke a window, went inside and escaped.”

Yash and the children became trapped and shouted for help, he added.

Resident Chitra Mohan Vashishta, 51, witnessed the tragedy from below. “I heard Yash and the kids shouting for help around 9:30 a.m. People were standing on the ground floor watching. No one brought mattresses or nets to catch them.”

Within minutes, Vashishta said, Yash helped the children jump first, then leaped himself as flames reached his body. All three died on impact with the concrete below.

Fire officials continue investigating the exact cause while also examining whether proper fire safety protocols were followed in the building’s construction and maintenance. [MAYBE A LINE HERE ON INVESTIGATION ON CULPABILITY IN THE CASE?]