
Two bodies found after Karol Bagh Vishal Mega Mart fire
Two bodies recovered after fire at Vishal Mega Mart in Delhi’s Karol Bagh
A fire broke out at Vishal Mega Mart in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area on Friday evening, leading to the deaths of two men, police said on Saturday. The blaze began on the second floor of the commercial building, which is located on Padam Singh Road in central Delhi. The exact cause of the fire is not confirmed yet, but officials suspect it may have started because of a short circuit.
One of the victims has been identified as 25-year-old Kumar Dhirender Pratap. He was found dead inside a lift, where he is believed to have died due to suffocation. The second victim's charred body was discovered later during the cooling operations inside the building, and officials are still working to identify him.
Final texts from inside the lift
According to the police, the fire was reported at 6.44 pm on Friday. Just a few minutes later, at 6.51 pm, Dhirender Pratap started sending text messages to his elder brother. The first message simply said “Bhaiya” (brother), followed by “Hum lift mein hoon” (I’m in the lift). His final message, also sent at 6.51 pm, read:
“Ab saans phool raha. Kuch karo.”
(“I am short of breath now. Do something.”)
After that, there were no further messages from him.
Firefighters believe he was trapped in the lift as toxic smoke filled the building. When the fire teams arrived and began their rescue work, they later found his lifeless body inside the lift.
The second body, which was severely burnt, was found during the cooling operation — the process that firefighters carry out to bring down the temperature of the affected area after putting out the flames.
Massive firefighting effort launched
The fire broke out on the second floor of the four-storey building, which houses a branch of Vishal Mega Mart. The store sells grocery items, clothing, and other goods. A total of 13 fire tenders (fire engines) and around 90 firefighters were sent to the location to put out the blaze.
According to Delhi Police, the majority of the fire was limited to the second floor. However, the firefighting teams had difficulty controlling the flames because the building did not have proper ventilation, which allowed the smoke and heat to build up.
“The fire was confined mainly to the second floor,” a Delhi Police spokesperson said.
“Efforts were delayed due to inadequate air circulation inside.”
The rescue and firefighting operations went on for several hours due to the complexity of the situation and the building’s layout.
Investigation and legal action to follow
The police are now investigating the exact cause of the fire. While they suspect a short circuit may have triggered it, they have said that a detailed investigation is still going on. Based on the findings, a case will be registered under the relevant legal sections. Officials will look into possible violations of fire safety rules as well.
The Delhi Fire Department and police are also likely to question the store managers, staff, and building owners to find out whether fire safety measures were in place and functioning properly. These may include fire extinguishers, alarms, emergency exits, and lift safety mechanisms.
If it is found that safety rules were ignored, those responsible could face legal consequences.
After this tragic incident, questions are being raised about the safety of commercial buildings in crowded market areas like Karol Bagh. Experts say that many such buildings are not built or maintained according to fire safety standards. Issues like blocked exits, poor ventilation, lack of alarms, and non-functional extinguishers are common.
In this case, lack of proper ventilation allowed the smoke to spread quickly, making the situation more dangerous. The presence of flammable goods like fabric and plastic packaging also made it easier for the fire to spread.
Officials said that such situations can turn deadly within minutes, especially if people are trapped inside lifts, storerooms, or closed spaces with no escape routes.
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Public reaction and safety awareness
News of the fire and the tragic loss of lives has shocked residents and shop owners in the area. Many expressed their concern over fire safety violations and called for regular checks by civic authorities.
Shoppers and employees of nearby stores said the area often gets overcrowded, and emergency vehicles have difficulty entering during rush hours. They also shared fears about poorly maintained electrical systems and lack of regular safety drills.
Fire officials are now urging commercial establishments to take fire safety seriously. They are reminding businesses to:
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Regularly check and service their electrical wiring
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Install and maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers
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Ensure that emergency exits are open and marked
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Avoid overloading power sockets and using substandard electrical items
In this case, the fire department was quick to respond and deployed a large number of firefighters. The quick arrival of the team likely prevented the fire from spreading to higher floors, which could have caused even greater damage.
Locals said they saw fire engines arrive within minutes, but smoke was already coming out of the windows by then. Some nearby residents helped guide people out of the building, but the thick smoke made it difficult to see.
Rescue workers faced challenges entering the building, and it took time to locate people inside due to the low visibility and intense heat.
The human cost
While the physical damage is being assessed, the loss of two human lives has cast a shadow over this incident. One of them, Dhirender Pratap, died in a tragic and avoidable manner — sending desperate messages from a lift, hoping for help that could not reach him in time.
His family is devastated. His brother, who received the texts, tried to call authorities, but by the time the rescue teams arrived, it was already too late.
The second victim has not been identified yet. Police are checking missing person reports and contacting store employees and their families to help with identification.
The fire at Vishal Mega Mart in Delhi’s Karol Bagh is a painful reminder of the importance of fire safety in commercial areas. The deaths of two men, including one trapped in a lift, have raised serious questions about building safety, emergency readiness, and responsibility.
As police and fire officials continue their investigation, there is growing demand for strict inspections of such buildings, better preparedness, and public awareness to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The incident also highlights the heroic efforts of firefighters, who risk their lives in dangerous situations. However, even their best efforts are sometimes not enough when basic safety rules are ignored.
The city must learn from this tragedy — so that no one else dies alone, trapped in a lift, gasping for breath as help tries to reach through smoke and flames.