Four dead in 2 fire cases

Four people, including two minors, were killed in two separate incidents of fire in the city within a span of five hours.

Two minors were charred to death after a fire broke out in a four-storey residential building in north-west Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar on Friday night, the police said.

A short circuit in the air conditioner is suspected to be the cause of the fire. Sarthak Garg (7) and Akshara Garg (9) were residents of Kewal Park, the police added.

The police said that the fire broke out around 11 p.m. on the first floor of the building where the children’s paternal uncle and aunt lived with their children. “The parents of the deceased had gone for a wedding and the children’s grandmother was with them on the second floor,” said an officer.

When the fire broke out, the children’s aunt rushed to inform the grandmother. They, however, could not rescue the children.

The police said that in an attempt to save himself, Sarthak locked himself in the washroom where his body was later found. Akshara had gone to the third floor to seek help but as no one opened the door she tried to come back down but was charred to death.

A total of 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, said a fire official.

Second incident

In another incident, two labourers were killed after a fire broke out in a godown of a tent house in south Delhi’s Kotla Mubarakpur on Saturday, the police said.

Around 3 a.m., a call about a fire in the basement of a four-storey building was received.

Ten fire tenders were sent to the spot and the blaze was doused in two hours, a fire official said.

“Out of seven workers sleeping in the basement, five managed to escape,” said the police.