Lit diya sparked Delhi fire: How auto-lock doors, PVC panels, wooden interior turned Dwarka duplex into death trap

Delhi fire

A lit diya, flammable PVC panels, and a biometric-locked main door turned a small fire into a deadly inferno that claimed three lives in a high-rise apartment in Delhi's Dwarka.

A delayed rescue, strong winds, and empty fire extinguishers contributed to the calamity that struck the family, which lost three of its members in the Tuesday blaze.

The fire broke out on the ninth and tenth floors of a duplex flat in Shabad Apartments, where Yash Yadav, 41, an interior designer and flex printing businessman, lived with his family.

The blaze killed Yadav, his 12-year-old daughter Ashima, and 11-year-old nephew Shivam Yadav.

Their bodies, after post-mortem, were taken for last rites to their hometown Dhumari in Uttar Pradesh's Etah.

The fire was sparked from a lit diya placed in a small temple inside the ninth-floor flat, a police officer said. The flames quickly spread through the house due to wooden interiors and PVC panelling, he said.

The fire soon shattered glass panes, allowing strong winds to bellow the blaze.

The family was unable to escape through the main door because it had a biometric lock and had automatically sealed shut, said the officer.

Its proximity to the origin of the fire made it impossible for them to force it open.

Three occupants, including Yash's elder son Aditya, 18, managed to jump from the ninth floor to the flat below using an extended platform. Since that flat had no one inside, he smashed its glass doors, broke the main door lock, and exited, another officer said.

Other family members rushed to the tenth floor using stairs, he said.

Six of them reached a small terrace, but Ashima and Shivam, disoriented by the smoke, mistakenly entered a room in front of the staircase. Upon realising their absence, Yash ran back to rescue them and found them in the balcony. He tried to shield them by hiding them behind a washing machine, he said.

The three waited for nearly 15 to 20 minutes, hoping for help to arrive. But when flames reached the PVC canopy above the balcony, and its remnants began to melt and fall on them, all of them jumped off, one after the other, children first. All three died.

Meanwhile, the others on the terrace dismantled a decorative panel above the railing and jumped onto the stairs of an adjacent building, from where they were rescued.

Witnesses claimed that the fire extinguishers outside the flat were empty. They also alleged that society officials and residents did not step in to assist.

"They did not let us go in to help, nor did they take any steps themselves. Even placing a foam mattress on the ground could have reduced the impact of the fall," said 29-year-old Rajkumar, a local shopkeeper.

Another resident said people were busy filming the fire on their phones instead of helping.

Police said they are examining whether the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) can be held accountable.

Yash's relatives had come from Etah to attend a religious function in nearby Mohan Garden.

Amit Bhandari, a close friend of his, told PTI that Yash was the sole breadwinner for his family. "His wife is a homemaker. I urge the government to offer compensation and support to the family." Bhandari also questioned the delayed response of the fire department and demanded a fire safety audit of all high-rise buildings in the capital.

"The only reason I am speaking up is that I don't want another family to lose a loved one the way Yash's did," he said.

An FIR has been registered at Dwarka North Police Station, with the police waiting for reports from the fire and forensics department to understand whose negligence resulted in the tragic incident.