NEW DELHI — A devastating house fire led to a deadly gas cylinder explosion in central Delhi’s Motia Khan area, claiming the life of a 40-year-old woman and injuring two firefighters, authorities reported. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, escalated due to the presence of multiple gas cylinders within the residence, increasing the severity of the fire.
According to fire officials, the blaze erupted on the third floor of a multi-story building that combined residential space with a commercial ground floor. The victim, identified as Hemlata, was reportedly in her kitchen when the explosion happened, tragically resulting in her death. The two injured fire personnel, Assistant Divisional Officer Ravinder Singh and Fire Officer Ved Prakash, were promptly taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene as firefighters struggled to navigate the building’s limited exit pathways amidst the dense smoke. The building’s structure, lacking sufficient escape routes and crammed with flammable material, posed significant challenges to the emergency response teams.
The fire department responded with four fire tenders and 24 personnel after receiving a distress call around 3 p.m. Initially, there were reports of children trapped inside, but these were later clarified to indicate that Hemlata was the individual in jeopardy.
A fire official labeled the residence a “fire trap,” noting the precarious positioning of additional gas cylinders that were at risk of exploding. “The survival chances during a blaze depend significantly on escape routes and structural safety, which were unfortunately inadequate in this building,” the official stated.
Further exacerbating the tragedy, the entire third floor sustained extensive damage, with even metal objects melting under the intense heat. Investigators are also examining whether a compressor found on the ground floor could have contributed to the explosion.
This incident forms part of a distressing rise in fire occurrences in the city, as February saw a 12% increase in fire incidents compared to the same month last year. A report by the fire department highlighted that within the first 24 days of February alone, there were 932 fire-related episodes, a noticeable increase from 834 in the previous year.
In terms of human costs, February saw 42 individuals injured and rescued, while two fatalities were recorded. These figures are part of a broader trend of increasing fire incidents and casualties in the city, with January reporting nearly as many episodes, at 938 incidents, including six deaths and injuries to 38 others.
Authorities continue to investigate the precise cause of the fire and explosion, emphasizing the need for stricter safety regulations and awareness to prevent similar tragedies. The repeated incidents underscore the critical importance of safety measures and proper urban planning to avert such catastrophic events.