Four people of a family died after a fire broke out inside their house in north-west Delhi’s Pitampura area on Thursday night. Police have identified the deceased as Rakesh Nagpal (40), his wife Tina Nagpal (37) and their seven-year-old son Himanshu and three-year-old daughter Shreya. However, the Delhi Fire Service managed to rescue three other people, including an elderly woman, who are undergoing treatment at Ambedkar Hospital.
Police said that the fire might have been a result of a short circuit, even though a report on the matter was awaited and investigations were at a preliminary stage.
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The fire broke out at House 484, Kohat Enclave, a three-storey building, which houses four families. When the blaze was reported at 2.48 am, more than 25 people were there inside the building. “We got information about the fire at 2:48 am. After ascertaining the volume and severity of the blaze, seven fire tenders were sent to the spot along with three other support vehicles, including a water bowser,” Chief Fire officer Atul Garg said.
Explaining the modus operandi of the operation, a DFS officer said while some managed to escape, the trapped people were taken out from the back exit of the building. “Some of the people had managed to escape, while those trapped were rescued by the firemen. The rescued people were taken out of the back exit of the building,” said a DFS officer.
The casualties could have been higher but for the alertness of the security guard, who immediately raised an alarm after he witnessed sparks from a electric meter at the ground floor. However, it is unclear why Nagpal and his family members, staying at the first floor, did not rush outside. Their bodies were found near the staircase of the building and it is suspected that they suffocated to death, police said.