Short-circuit: Fire at house in Dwarka kills couple, 2 sons

New Delhi: The lives of a family of four — a couple and their two sons — were tragically snuffed out Tuesday after a major fire tore through their house in Dwarka’s Prem Nagar. According to fire officials, the victims died of smoke inhalation. Police say a short-circuit may have caused the blaze.
The deceased have been identified as Heera Singh (48), his wife Neetu (46), Robin (22) and Lakshay (21).While Heera was a cameraman for a private company, Lakshay was employed with a firm.
The fire department received a call at 3.27am and dispatched six fire tenders with about 30 firefighters to the spot. Investigation revealed that the fire started near a locked main door, close to an inverter.
A senior fire official said the building has a ground floor and one upper floor. “The first floor is divided into two apartments where two brothers live with their families while their mother resides on the ground floor,” he added.
As the main iron gate was locked from inside, firefighters found it difficult to enter the premises and took some time, the official said. The family kept the door locked for safety reasons as one of the sons had a medical condition that required supervision, according to Anil, a relative. “He used to wander, sometimes at night, so they would keep the main gate locked,” he said.
“It appears they could not locate the key to the main iron gate. They attempted to save themselves by entering the bathroom. Their faces were wet, indicating an attempt to avoid smoke inhalation,” the official said.
The bodies of Neetu and the sons were discovered in the bathroom while that of Heera was found near its door, suggesting the family sought refuge from the flames there. Anil said Lakshay managed to call him sometime between 2.20am and 2.30am, informing him about the fire.
“He was telling me to save them, and then suddenly the phone got cut. We kept trying to call back, but there was no response. I, along with my other relatives, rushed to the site, but by then it was all over,” he said, adding that no one came to help the family.
Although the fire itself was not very intense, the dense smoke posed a significant challenge for the rescue operation. According to DFS officials, the house had poor ventilation, which exacerbated the smoke accumulation. One window was occupied by a cooler while another had an air-conditioner installed, limiting the flow of air within the premises.
“The bathroom where three of the bodies were found had no windows, which likely contributed to severe suffocation. Similarly, the fourth body was discovered in a windowless room, highlighting the dangers of inadequate ventilation during fires,” the official said.
Delhi Fire Service (DFS) director Atul Garg said the blaze originated in an inverter and a sofa on the first floor, resulting in the family of four inhaling smoke. They were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared dead.
A fire official said it was the smoke that alerted the family to the blaze. But, by the time they tried to escape, the main door was already engulfed in flames. “There was no significant damage to the ground or the part of the building where his brother lives,” he added.