No extinguisher, hose, or fire safety clearance: A string of lapses led to Dwarka fire

If fire safety equipment were working, my son would still be alive, says father of child killed in blaze

Family members of three victims in Tuesday’s deadly Dwarka apartment fire blamed systemic safety failures, including non-functional fire extinguishers, the apartment complex’s fire safety certificate that expired nine years ago, and missing equipment for the tragedy that claimed their loved ones.

New Firefighters try to douse the blaze at an apartment complex in Dwarka on Tuesday. (VIPIN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

“If the fire safety equipment in the building were operational, my family members would still be alive,” said Shyamveer Yadav, 48, father of 12-year-old Shivam Yadav, one of three who died jumping from the 10th floor of Shabad Apartments in Sector 13.

The victims in Tueday’s tragedy were Yash Yadav, 45, who owned the penthouse spanning the ninth and 10th floors; his 10-year-old daughter Ashima; and nephew Shivam. The fire erupted around 10am when 10 family members were present for a family gathering.

Police suspect the blaze originated in the prayer room on the ninth floor, though forensic investigators will determine the exact cause. A case has been registered.

Fire department officials confirmed the building’s no objection certificate expired in 2016—nine years ago. Extinguishers were inoperational and water hoses were missing entirely.

“The extinguishers were not in condition to be used. The water hose was nowhere to be seen,” said a fire official, requesting anonymity.

Shyamveer blamed the residential welfare association for negligence. “Not even one fire extinguisher was working. The RWA did nothing when people called for help. If safety measures were in place and guards knew how to use them, my son would not have died.”

Residents complained about systemic maintenance failures despite paying monthly fees. Police said that the complex was built by a housing society over 25 years ago after which the upkeep and maintenance of the apartment complex is to be done by the RWA.

“They charge us ₹3,600 monthly as maintenance, but nothing is maintained,” said Chitra Mohan Vashishta, 51, a businessman in an adjacent building. “There are water tanks with 10 lakh litres of water readily available, but no one knew how to connect hose pipes to douse the fire. The extinguishers are rusted.”

“The FIR has been registered against unknown persons, but the case is under investigation. We will determine whose negligence led to the incident,” said a senior police officer.

The house was owned by Yash Yadav, who ran a flex board business in Dwarka, employing several family members. Extended family had gathered for a Bhagwad Gita event organised by Yash’s sister in Uttam Nagar, scheduled to conclude Tuesday.

Present during the fire in the house were Yash, his wife Mamta, 42; their children Aditya, 18, and Ashima; Mamta’s sister Madhuri and her husband Ankit with their one-year-old daughter; two of Ankit’s relatives; and Yash’s nephew Shivam.

When fire erupted on the ninth floor, Yash fled to the 10th floor with Ashima and Shivam, hoping to escape and alert others. Ankit and his two relatives managed to jump to the eighth floor and were rescued by locals, but Yash and the children became trapped and fell to their deaths, according to the victim’s family.

Mohammed Waseem, 24, a labourer who rescued Ankit and other family members said that he heard people shouting for help when he was doing some repair work in the adjacent building. “We had a hammer and a chisel. I and three-four other men went up the stairs and saw smoke on the ninth floor. We broke the lock from outside using the hammer and three men came out. Two women had also come down from the stairs on their own,” he said.