Vivek Vihar blaze: Loss, unanswered questions abound as family recalls desperate wait for rescue

Vivek Vihar blaze: Loss, unanswered questions abound as family recalls desperate wait for rescue

New Delhi, After surviving a kidney transplant, and celebrating the birth of his long-awaited child, Nishant Jain along with four others from the family were among the nine killed in the Vivek Vihar blaze, a tragedy that left behind stories of survival, loss and a host of unanswered questions.

Vivek Vihar blaze: Loss, unanswered questions abound as family recalls desperate wait for rescue

"When we reached, they were still cutting through the grilles to access the floor… every minute felt like a lifetime," said Sonali Jain, who lost five family members to the blaze her voice trembling as she recalled the harrowing wait as rescuers attempted to reach those trapped in the inferno.

Fire broke out at 3.48 am on Sunday in a four-storey residential building in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar, engulfing multiple floors and killing nine people from two families, including a toddler.

Those killed include Arvind Jain , his wife Anita Jain , their son Nishant Jain , daughter-in-law Anchal Jain and grandchild Akaay. Their bodies were found on the first floor.

Sonali, Arvind's daughter-in-law, who rushed from Manesar after receiving a call around 4 am, said the family reached Delhi by 6.10 am only to find firefighters struggling to access the upper floors.

"They hadn't reached our floor. They were using cutters to break through the grilles, and that was taking time. There were issues with the water supply too," she said.

Recalling the married life of Anchal, an employee with Punjab & Sind Bank, and Nishant, Sonali said the couple had endured years of hardship before finding stability.

"He had undergone a kidney transplant after suffering for nearly a year. His body had finally accepted it, things were normal, and then their son was born after many prayers," she said. "Everything was going well… and then..." her voice trailed off, as the tragedy flashed before her eyes.

Investigators said initial findings suggest the fire may have been triggered by an air-conditioner explosion in the first-floor flat of Shikha Jain , who died in the incident, while her husband Naveen Jain sustained injuries.

A joint probe by police and the Forensic Science Laboratory , which has inspected the site, has pointed to multiple factors that turned the blaze deadly.

High-speed winds are believed to have intensified the fire, while most residents were asleep, delaying evacuation.

Police also flagged structural issues, including a centralised automatic door system and a locked terrace door, which blocked escape routes. Several victims were found near staircases and upper floors, suggesting they were trapped while trying to flee.

Rescue efforts were further hampered by access constraints, with firefighters forced to cut through iron grilles to enter parts of the building. The fire team is expected to revisit the site for further examination.

As investigation continues, authorities are examining possible lapses in fire safety measures and structural compliance, as the tragedy has once again underscored the human cost behind recurring fire incidents in the capital.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.