Another fire in Delhi, 3 of family die in early morning blaze

2 min readNew DelhiJun 13, 2026 10:20 AM IST

The fire quickly spread through the building, trapping several residents inside due to heavy smoke. (Express Photo)

Three members of a family were killed and their two relatives remain critical after a fire ripped through a six-storey residential building in Southeast Delhi’s Tughlakabad Extension early Friday.

The victims were identified as Pankaj (28), his sister Soni (20) and grandmother Sushila Devi (70). Pankaj’s younger sister Moni (18) and mother Guddi (50) are being treated for injuries. Police said that initial inquiry suggests that an electrical short circuit on the ground floor may have triggered the fire.

The flames subsequently engulfed several parked vehicles, including three scooters, two motorcycles, one bicycle and an electric scooter that was reportedly being charged at the time.

However, officers said the exact cause of the blaze will be established only after a probe.

An FIR on the charge of causing death by negligence has been registered, said Govindpuri police station.

Police said a PCR call regarding the blaze was received at the police station around 2.24 am. Local police personnel immediately rushed to the spot. Fire tenders, CATS ambulances and other emergency responders were also mobilised.

The fire quickly spread through the building, trapping several residents inside due to heavy smoke. Eight occupants were evacuated from different floors and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment.

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By 4.25 am, the fire had spread from the ground floor parking area to all six floors of the building. While the ground, first and second floors were completely gutted, the upper floors suffered partial damage.

The building had 10 to 12 flats, two on each of the floors. A factory was operating on the third floor, said local residents.

While all flats had balconies on the opposite side of the building, the entrance where the fire started was located in front of the building. “Bikes and scooters were parked on the ground floor parking lot. The fire broke out there and spread to all vehicles,” said Prince, a local resident.

“I saw three girls coming from the gate of the adjacent building. They had jumped to the terrace of the next building,” said Ashish (45), a resident of the same area.

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“While the building lacked proper ventilation, a factory was functioning inside it,” he added.