Keshav Puram fire: Three rescued from terrace after electric meter blaze in Delhi
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Three residents were safely rescued after a fire erupted in the electric meter panel of a residential building in Keshav Puram, northwest Delhi, in the early hours of Monday, 29 June. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received the first distress call at 2:03 am and brought the blaze under control within 27 minutes, with no casualties reported.
How the Fire Unfolded
The incident was reported at B-4/180, Lawrence Road, near Lal Shahi Mandir, under the jurisdiction of Keshav Puram. According to the DFS, the fire control room received multiple calls about a blaze in electrical wiring before units were immediately dispatched.
The initial response comprised two water tenders, two water bowsers, and one Quick Response Vehicle (QRV), all deployed under the supervision of Station Officer Rajender. By 2:10 am, as distress calls continued, an additional Bronto Skylift and Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) R.K. Yadav were also rushed to the scene.
Residents Stranded on Terrace
The fire was confined to 24 electric meters installed on the ground floor of the building, which has a ground floor and four upper floors. Three occupants — Gaurav (28), Kaira (25), and Indu Batra (55) — were found stranded on the building's terrace and were safely evacuated by the DFS team.
Station Officer Rajender issued a 'Stop' message at 2:30 am, confirming the fire had been brought under control. The DFS confirmed there were no casualties in the incident.
Context: A Pattern of Electrical Fires in Delhi
This incident is the latest in a series of electrical fire emergencies in the capital. Earlier the same week, a major fire broke out at a labour settlement near Udyog Bhawan in central Delhi, where workers associated with the Central Vista redevelopment project were residing. That blaze spread rapidly through the settlement, triggering a large-scale firefighting operation.
Officials noted that explosions in commercial and small LPG cylinders on the Udyog Bhawan site further intensified the blaze and accelerated its spread. That fire was also initially reported as an electric panel fire near the Labour Jhuggi area, and the DFS escalated it to a Make-4 category fire, deploying multiple units including water tenders and fire bikes.
What This Signals
Electrical panel fires in densely occupied residential buildings remain a persistent urban safety concern in Delhi, particularly in older localities where wiring infrastructure has not kept pace with power demand. The Keshav Puram incident underscores the importance of rapid multi-unit deployment protocols, which in this case ensured all three trapped residents were brought to safety without injury. Authorities have not yet commented on the building's electrical compliance status.