3 killed, several injured after fire breaks out in Delhi residential building

Three people, including a 22-year-old man and two women, died and two others remained in critical condition after a fire broke out in a multi-storey residential building in southeast Delhi's Tughlakabad area in the early hours of Friday. Officials said eight residents trapped inside the building were rescued and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment.

The fire was reported at around 2.03 am from Gali No. 1 in Tughlakabad. According to officials, the blaze started in the ground-floor parking area of a building consisting of a ground floor and five upper storeys. Thick smoke rapidly spread through the stairwell and upper floors, trapping several residents inside the structure.

Initial inquiries indicated that the fire may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit on the ground floor. The flames quickly engulfed seven parked two-wheelers, including an electric scooter that was being charged at the time of the incident.

Police personnel and emergency response teams reached the spot shortly after the alert was received. Four fire tenders, ambulances and rescue units were deployed as firefighting and evacuation operations were carried out simultaneously. Senior police officers also supervised the rescue efforts at the site.

Firefighters rescued five occupants from inside the building and later reached the terrace, where they cut open a locked gate to rescue two girls who had reportedly moved to the rooftop to escape the smoke. Another resident was subsequently rescued during the operation. Officials said the fire was brought under control at around 3.45 am and completely extinguished by 4 am.