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New Delhi: A horrific Sunday morning fire turned a residential building in East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar into a graveyard, claiming the lives of nine people, including a one-year-old child. 

The blaze, which broke out in the early hours of May 3, 2026, has once again exposed the fragile state of fire safety in the national capital’s neighbourhoods.

A Night of Terror

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a distress call at 3:47 AM regarding a massive fire in a four-storey residential structure in B-Block, Vivek Vihar. 

By the time 14 fire tenders arrived minutes later, flames had already engulfed the second, third, and fourth floors.

Preliminary investigations suggest a high-intensity Air Conditioner (AC) explosion may have triggered the inferno, which quickly spread to domestic articles, furniture, and electronic wiring across six different flats. 

The fire was so intense that it took over five hours of gruelling operations to fully douse the flames and begin the recovery of the deceased.

Chilling Scenes of Devastation

Video footage emerging from the site reveals a haunting landscape of ash and twisted metal. 

The most harrowing discovery was made in the staircase mummy (the enclosure leading to the terrace), where rescuers found three charred bodies huddled together.

The victims had reportedly rushed to the top of the building in a desperate attempt to escape the rising smoke and heat, only to find the door to the terrace locked. 

Trapped in the narrow stairwell as oxygen depleted and temperatures soared, they were unable to survive. 

Other bodies were recovered from the first and second floors, where the heat was most concentrated.

The deceased include four men, four women, and a toddler, their lives cut short while they slept. 

While nine perished, firefighters managed to rescue nearly 15 others, two of whom are currently being treated for minor injuries at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.

Political Response and Inquiry

Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed deep condolences and announced immediate medical assistance for survivors. 

A magisterial inquiry has been ordered to determine the exact cause and check for building code violations.

As summer temperatures soar, this incident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by electrical overloads and the fatal consequences of obstructed fire exits. 

For the families of Vivek Vihar, a routine Sunday has ended in a nightmare of soot and silence.