Delhi Fire in Vivek Vihar Leaves 9 Dead, Raises Safety Concerns
Delhi Fire in Vivek Vihar Leaves 9 Dead, Raises Safety Concerns
A devastating early-morning blaze in Vivek Vihar, Delhi, left nine people dead, including a toddler, spotlighting a troubling pattern of fires and safety lapses in the area.
A devastating fire broke out early Sunday morning in a residential building in Vivek Vihar in east Delhi’s Shahdara area. Nine people were killed, including a 1.5-year-old toddler. Emergency teams managed to rescue more than a dozen residents as flames engulfed the structure, while officials said senior authorities were fully engaged in relief and rescue operations.
The latest blaze adds to a troubling pattern of fires in Vivek Vihar over the past few years. In May 2024, a fire at Baby Care New Born Hospital killed seven infants. Investigations showed serious lapses: the hospital’s licence had expired months earlier, but it continued to operate, and it operated with more NICU beds than approved, in cramped conditions that did not meet safety norms.
Earlier, in December last year, a fire in a Vivek Vihar slum dwelling claimed the life of a one-year-old boy, with a four-year-old sister badly burned. Police said the children were on a bed near the kitchen where their mother had been cooking on a gas stove.
Authorities were still assessing the cause of the current fire, with officials noting the incident began around 3:30-3:47 am depending on account. Some residents and investigators have pointed to a possible air-conditioner blast or a short circuit. Many residents were trapped behind locked doors and grilled windows as the blaze spread through the four-storey building.
Officials stressed there is an urgent need to review safety norms in the area and to ensure proper licensing and compliance of facilities. Relief and rescue operations continue, and the incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of fire safety measures in parts of Delhi.
