Delhi Fire Tragedy: Friend Recalls Victim’s Final Moments. What Did He Say?

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• Delhi fire kills nine in residential building, AC explosion suspected.
• Victim’s final desperate calls for help from trapped building.

Delhi Fire Tragedy: At least 9 people died after a massive fire broke out in a residential building in Shahdara. Preliminary reports suggest a possible air conditioner (AC) explosion may have triggered the blaze, though officials have said the exact cause will be confirmed after a detailed investigation. Grief and disbelief engulfed families and friends of those killed in the fire in Vivek Vihar, as harrowing accounts emerged of desperate calls for help in the early hours of Sunday.

According to relatives, Nishank Jain, one of the victims, frantically called several people as flames rapidly spread through the residential building. “He kept saying, ‘save me, save me’,” a close friend recalled.

Manoj, a family friend, said Nishank tried reaching him around 3:50 am and again at 4 am. “I couldn’t answer. I saw the missed calls in the morning and rushed to the hospital when I learnt what had happened,” he told PTI.

Nishank was meant to travel to Manesar with his elder brother Deepak Jain (38) for a family celebration but cancelled at the last moment. “Had he gone, he would be alive,” a relative said.

Friends remembered him as generous and community-minded, often contributing to social causes.

Locked Roof, Delayed Rescue Spark Outrage

Anger also surfaced among relatives, who alleged delays in rescue operations. Some claimed victims attempted to escape via the roof but were trapped as the door was locked.

Among the injured, Naveen Jain suffered severe burns and was later shifted to Safdarjung Hospital for advanced treatment. His family alleged mismanagement during the transfer, claiming they were left waiting for hours without an ambulance.

Rescue workers described the scene inside the charred building as “horrific.” Jotjeet Sabarwal of the Shahid Bhagat Singh Seva Dal said bodies were found on staircases and across floors. “We even found a toddler clutched in a family member’s arms,” he said, adding that many bodies were burnt beyond recognition.

The group claimed the building had central locking, with the roof door shut, possibly hindering escape. The rescue operation lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours.

At least nine people, including a one-and-a-half-year-old child, died after the blaze broke out around 3:50 am, engulfing multiple floors of the building.