Shalimar Bagh inferno: Smoke and fire trap victims, say eyewitnesses

New Delhi: Nearly a week after the Anaj Mandi inferno which engulfed 43 lives, the national Capital witnessed one more incident of fire and this time in a four-storey building killing three people in Shalimar Bagh. The eyewitnesses claimed that the deceased tried to escape but they were trapped in fire and smoke.

According to Delhi Police, they have registered a criminal case against unknown person. "Fire department told us that the reason behind the incident may be short circuit. The following fact is being probed," a senior police officer said. The incident took place at BQ block area. Sahil Mehra, a resident of BQ block area told Millenium Post that on Saturday evening he was informed by his mother about the smoke coming out of their neighbour's house.

"I rushed to the terrace of other building and from there I jumped on the terrace of that house where the fire has started. The terrace gate was locked. The police broke down the gate and found two women (Somvati and Kiran Sharma) were lying on the stairs," said Mehra. It is being suspected that the women were not able to open the door of the terrace. The fact is under investigation.

According to residents, from the first floor, two people jumped to another building whereas another woman (Kanta) was trapped in the fire. Meanwhile, on another floor of the house, four people including two children were trapped. The children were guided through phone by a Delhi Police special staff inspector Lalit Kumar. "I was at the spot when one of the relatives of the children told me about the kids trapped in the building. The relative was talking to children on phone," said Kumar, adding that the relative gave him the phone.

"I told children to close the main gate and windows and cover their eyes and mouths with wet clothes. I was telling the kids that we will be soon reaching out to them. Later the children were rescued," the policeman said. Navneet Kumar Jain who lives on the upper ground floor of the house told this newspaper that in the evening when he came back to his house he saw smoke coming from his floor. "I informed my wife about it and later the fire engulfed the house," said Jain.