Three elderly persons die, vehicles gutted in separate fire incidents

Three elderly persons, including a married couple, died in two separate fire incidents in east and south-east Delhi on Wednesday, the police said.

In the first incident, a couple died after a fire broke out at their residence in east Delhi’s Shahdara area. The victims were identified as Prem Sagar Malhotra, 75, and his 65-year-old wife, Asha Malhotra, residents of Shivpuri in the Jagatpuri locality.

“They were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said.

Preliminary inquiries suggested the couple died due to smoke inhalation. While the exact cause of the fire is under investigation, officials suspect it may have been triggered by an LPG cylinder burst. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze and prevented it from spreading to neighbouring houses in the congested area.

In another incident, a 72-year-old woman died, and several vehicles were gutted after a fire broke out at a four-storey residential building in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area.

According to the Delhi Fire Services, the fire erupted around 4.50 p.m. in the building’s garage. A PCR call was received at the Shaheen Bagh police station at 4.41 p.m., following which the SHO and police staff rushed to the spot. Senior officers also reached the site to supervise rescue and firefighting operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement.

Shahrukh, a local resident, said he heard a loud blast-like sound before noticing flames rising from the garage to the first floor. “I immediately informed residents of the building. People panicked and rushed to the terraces, with some jumping to neighbouring rooftops using ladders,” he said.

While most occupants managed to flee, Fazila Kishwar, 72, died due to suffocation, the police said. She had been staying with her son, Bilal, for medical treatment. Kishwar was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was declared brought dead.  An inquiry has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the fire. Earlier in March, a fire had broken out at a footwear showroom at Shaheen Bagh Market in New Delhi.