Delhi: Massive fire in Shahdara building leaves 9 dead
What's the story
A massive fire broke out in a four-story residential building in Vivek Vihar, Shahdara, Delhi early on Sunday. The fire incident has left nine people dead and several others injured, according to various reports. The blaze started on the second floor around 4:00am and quickly spread to the upper floors. It took firefighters two hours to bring the fire under control by 6:00am. 14 fire tenders were deployed to douse the flames and conduct rescue operations.
Casualties reported
10-15 residents rescued
Delhi Police confirmed that 10 to 15 residents were rescued from the building during firefighting and evacuation operations. Two people who suffered minor injuries were taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital for treatment. According to ANI, a resident speculated that an air conditioner blast may have caused the fire, saying, "A blast in the AC triggered the fire... Around 12-15 were rescued."
Ongoing investigation
Cause of fire yet to be officially ascertained
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but a preliminary inquiry has been launched to determine the circumstances of this tragic incident. The bodies of those who lost their lives have been recovered and handed over to the Delhi Police crime team for further investigation. Visuals from the scene showed that parts of the building were charred, and smoke was billowing from its top floor.
Twitter Post
Interview of a neighboring resident
#WATCH | Delhi: A resident, Rohit, says, "A blast in the AC triggered the fire... Around 12-15 were rescued. However, 4-5 people are still missing. The fire started at around 03:13 am... Fire tenders arrived at around 3:35 am... Efforts are being made to extinguish the fire..." https://t.co/JXCQ0AMEls pic.twitter.com/RbuRkJEVJS
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2026