Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 12: Three people, including two women, lost their lives after a fire broke out in a residential building in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri area in the early hours of Friday, officials said.

According to police, a PCR call regarding the blaze in a five-storey residential building at Tughlakabad Extension was received at around 2.24 am. Police teams rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations for residents trapped inside the smoke-filled building.

Fire and emergency services deployed multiple fire tenders and ambulances to the scene. Eight residents were rescued and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and the AIIMS Trauma Centre. Of them, a man and two women succumbed to their injuries, while two others remain in critical condition.

Fire officials said the blaze was brought under control around 4 am after an intensive firefighting operation.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire originated in the parking area on the ground floor, where several two-wheelers, including scooters and motorcycles, caught fire. The flames and thick smoke quickly spread to the upper floors of the building.

Officials said the ground, first and second floors were extensively damaged, while the upper floors sustained partial damage. During the rescue operation, Delhi Fire Services personnel entered the building through the terrace after cutting open a locked gate and rescued two girls who were trapped on the rooftop.

Police said an electrical short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire. Investigators are also examining whether an electric scooter that was being charged at the time contributed to the blaze.

Authorities have launched a detailed inquiry to determine the exact cause of the incident.

The tragedy comes days after a major fire at a restaurant in Delhi's Malviya Nagar claimed multiple lives, raising fresh concerns over fire safety compliance in the national capital.