One person was killed after a massive fire broke out at a Vishal Mega Mart outlet in the Karol Bagh market in west Delhi. As soon as the fire broke out on Friday evening, the fire department was alerted, and firefighting teams rushed to the scene. After much effort, the fire was brought under control.
When the fire brigade arrived at the spot, they found that the building had only one entry and exit route. The staircase leading to the first and second floors was blocked by goods from the departmental store, making it difficult for the fire team to access the upper floors or ventilate the smoke. To tackle this, firefighters had to break a wall from the outside to release the trapped smoke.
Person trapped in lift dies
Due to a power outage during the incident, one person got stuck inside the lift and died before the firefighters could arrive for rescue. Even after the fire was doused, cooling operations continued until late at night.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer M.K. Chattopadhyay stated, "We received a call at 6:44 pm about a fire at Vishal Mega Mart. On arrival, we saw that the entire building was engulfed in flames. The basement, ground and three floors, and some temporary structures on top were all burning. Our officers tried to enter, but the staircases and emergency routes were completely blocked by store items, making access extremely difficult."
Fire officer’s statement
He further added, "We had no alternative route to go upstairs. The main area affected by the fire was completely ablaze. The third floor, where oil and ghee were stored, was especially dangerous. We managed to extinguish the fire in the basement, ground, first, and second floors. Due to the power failure, the lift stopped mid-way, trapping a person inside. We later rescued him and sent him to the hospital, but unfortunately, he had already died."
The incident has raised serious concerns about fire safety and emergency preparedness in commercial buildings.
With inputs from ANI
