NEW DELHI: Three elderly persons, including a married couple, died in two separate fire incidents in east and southeast Delhi on Wednesday, police said.
In the first incident, an elderly couple died after a fire broke out at their residence in east Delhi’s Shahdara area. The victims were identified as Prem Sagar Malhotra (75) and his wife Asha Malhotra (65), residents of Shivpuri in the Jagatpuri area. The Jagatpuri Police received a call regarding the fire at around 1.36 pm. Two fire tenders from the Delhi Fire Services were pressed into service to control the blaze and carry out rescue operations. The fire originated on the first floor of the building where the couple resided.
Emergency responders found the couple unconscious inside the house during the rescue operation.
“They were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam.
Preliminary inquiries suggest the couple died due to smoke inhalation, the officer said. While the exact cause of the fire is under investigation, officials suspected that it may have been triggered by an LPG cylinder burst, officials said. Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to adjacent houses in the congested locality.
A forensic team examined the scene and collected evidence. Locals told police that they noticed thick smoke billowing out of the house in the early afternoon and alerted emergency services. Further investigation is underway, the officials said.
In the second incident, a 72-year-old woman died after a massive fire broke out in a residential building in southeast Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area in the early hours of Wednesday. The deceased was identified
as Fazila Kishwar.
The Delhi Fire Services received a call about the blaze at around 4.41 am. Four fire tenders and four ambulances were rushed to the spot. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said police personnel assisted in evacuating the residents and managing the crowd to ensure access for emergency services.
Five residents, including the elderly woman, were rescued from the building and shifted to nearby hospitals. Fazila Kishwar, who had pre-existing respiratory ailments, died during treatment.
Preliminary investigations suggest she died due to suffocation.
A neighbour, Shahrukh, said the fire appeared to have started in the parking area of the four-storey building. Residents used wooden stairs to reach the terrace of an adjoining building, saving more than 20 people.
While no other injuries were reported, the fire caused damage to property. Two cars, a motorcycle and a scooter were either completely or partially burnt.
Police have cordoned off the area and an investigation has been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.