New Delhi: Fire broke out in a four-storey residential building in East Delhi’s Vives Vicar, resulting in at least nine fatalities. The incident happened at premises B-13, Vivek Vihar Phase-I, with the blaze engulfing the second and fourth floors.

The iron grilles, locked terrace door, single entry-exit, central locking system made it hard for the people to get outside the affected building, making members of the three families vulnerable to casualties.

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Following the incident, emergency services responded promptly, evacuating several residents and bringing the fire under control by 8 am. Rescue teams evacuated 10 to 15 people, and two individuals with minor injuries were transported to Guru TEG Bahadur Hospital. Nine others were declared brought dead at the hospital.

The victims from one family were identified as Arvind Jain (60), Anita Jain (58), Nishant Jain (35), Chalan Jain (33), and Akash Jain (1), who resided on the second floor. Another family, comprising Nitin Jain (50), Hailey Jain (48), and their son Samyank Jain (25), lost their lives on the third floor. Shikha Jain (45), living on the first floor, was also among the deceased.

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The initial findings show that an air conditioner explosion may have triggered the blaze. However, a detailed probe is underway.