Fire at Vishal Mega Mart in Karol Bagh claims two lives

A massive fire at a Vishal Mega Mart outlet in Karol Bagh on Friday evening claimed the lives of two persons, including a 25-year-old man who sent a desperate message to his brother for help.

Kumar Dhirendra Pratap Singh was inside the lift when the fire broke out in the four-storey departmental store.

Around 6:51 pm, Singh sent a heartbreaking message to his elder brother: “Bhaiya, hum lift mein hoon. Gas gaye hain. Karol Bagh Mega Mart… Ab saans phool raha. kuchh karo (I am short of breath now. Do something)”.

The fire, which broke around 6:44 pm, mainly affected the second floor where fabric and grocery items were stocked. Poor ventilation made the firefighting operation extremely challenging. As many as 13 fire tenders and 90 firefighters were deployed to control the blaze, officials said.

Another male charred body was recovered from the building later during the cooling operations, taking the death toll to two.

Preliminary reports suggest that a short circuit may have triggered the fire, but investigations are ongoing.

The incident has raised serious concerns over fire safety norms and emergency preparedness in Delhi’s busy commercial areas.