Vivek Vihar fire: Residents call for safety overhaul after 9 deaths

Residents of east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar have begun organising community-level safety measures after a fire in a residential building on 3 May killed nine people, including a toddler, exposing critical lapses in building design and emergency preparedness.

The blaze broke out in a four-storey building in Vivek Vihar Phase-I and spread rapidly from the rear, engulfing flats from the first to the fourth floors. Preliminary findings point to an air-conditioner explosion on a lower floor, with strong winds aiding the spread of flames.

Design flaws worsened toll

Investigators and residents have pointed to structural issues that severely hampered evacuation — including a single central staircase, locked access to the terrace, and iron grills blocking rear exits.

Rakesh Singh said locals have decided to hold meetings every 15 days to discuss fire preparedness and structural changes.

“We will discuss several ways out during fire-related incidents… including risks posed by electronic door locking systems,” Singh said, noting that such systems can fail during emergencies.

He added that some residents were unable to exit due to electronic locks and died inside.

Rooftop access under scrutiny

Shiv Sharma, who owns flats nearby, highlighted an informal practice of restricting terrace access to top-floor residents.

“It is an unsaid rule… they even lock the rooftop. In this incident, many could not reach the terrace and died,” Sharma said.

He stressed that keeping terrace doors unlocked during emergencies could help save lives.

Iron grills, parked cars flagged

Residents also cited iron grills at the rear of buildings and haphazard parking as major obstacles to evacuation.

One resident said the building was “completely grilled from the rear side”, leaving no alternate escape route.

“I will suggest creating a rear exit by cutting grills so people can escape during emergencies,” he said.

Fire personnel had earlier flagged similar issues, stating they had to cut through iron grills to rescue trapped occupants. Power failure during the incident also rendered lifts and electronic locks non-functional.

Victims found near staircase

According to the Delhi Fire Services, nine bodies were recovered from different parts of the building, including near the staircase leading to the terrace — indicating that some victims had attempted to flee upwards but were blocked by locked access.

The tragedy comes amid a spike in fire-related incidents in the national capital. Official data shows a 73 per cent rise in calls in April compared to March, with 2,663 incidents reported last month.

Between January and April, 32 people have died in fire-related incidents in Delhi, with the Vivek Vihar blaze pushing the toll into double digits for May.

Officials have attributed the surge to rising temperatures and an increase in dry waste and garbage fires.

Focus shifts to prevention

For residents, the immediate priority is to prevent a repeat of the disaster through coordinated action and structural changes.

With regular meetings planned and safety measures under discussion, locals say the tragedy has triggered a broader push to rethink residential fire preparedness in the city.