New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Neighbours were jolted awake by the sound of shattering glass and smoke billowing from a flat in the early hours of Tuesday, moments before a fire claimed the lives of a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation official, his wife and their 10-year-old daughter in northwest Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar.
Residents on the fourth floor of the apartment complex said they heard a loud noise around 2.30 am and rushed upstairs, where they saw flames and thick smoke coming out of the family’s one-bedroom flat, a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official familiar with the family said.
“They knocked repeatedly on the door but got no response. They even tried to break it open but failed. Someone then called 112,” the official said. Before fire tenders arrived, residents used the society’s emergency firefighting equipment in an attempt to control the blaze. When the fire was finally doused, the bodies of the three occupants were found on the bed, completely charred.
“It appears they may have fallen unconscious due to smoke inhalation before being burnt to death,” the official said, adding that a room heater is suspected to have caused the fire following a short circuit.
The deceased, Ajay Vimal (45), had been working with the DMRC since 2006 and was posted as an assistant section engineer at Barakhamba Road Metro Station. A native of Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, he had been living in the Metro Apartments since 2016.
“He was extremely humble and very community-oriented,” the official said. Vimal’s wife, Neelam (38), was a homemaker, while their daughter was a Class 4 student at a private school. He is survived by an elder brother serving in the Uttar Pradesh Police in Aligarh and an elder sister who lives in Noida.
The DMRC staff quarters wore a grim look on Tuesday morning as shock and grief gripped residents following the tragedy. Neighbours gathered quietly in small groups, many struggling to come to terms with the loss of a family known for its warmth and simplicity.
According to the official, while the main electricity supply tripped during the short circuit, the room heater is believed to have continued burning and the fire spread rapidly inside the bedroom.
Delhi Police and fire services officials are investigating to ascertain the exact cause of the blaze. PTI SSJ AKY
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