📰 Tragedy at Vishal Mega Mart, Karol Bagh – Full Story
📍 Date & Location
Date of Incident: July 4, 2025 (Thursda
📰 Tragedy at Vishal Mega Mart, Karol Bagh – Full Story
📍 Date & Location
Date of Incident: July 4, 2025 (Thursday)
Time: Fire reported around 6:44 PM
Location: Vishal Mega Mart, Karol Bagh, New Delhi
Structure: Ground + 3 floors retail store with one lift and no verified fire safety measures
🔥 Fire Breakout & Immediate Aftermath
The fire started on the second floor, suspected to be caused by a short circuit.
Within minutes, it spread rapidly due to flammable materials and lack of ventilation.
Emergency services were alerted around 6:50 PM.
13–15 fire tenders and over 90 fire personnel were deployed to control the blaze.
Firefighting and rescue operations continued for over 3 hours, with the fire controlled by 9 PM.
However, dense smoke, lack of emergency exits, and no functional fire alarms delayed search and rescue operations inside the building.
😢 Victims
1. Kumar Dhirendra Pratap Singh
Age: 25
Hometown: Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Profession: UPSC aspirant
Background: Had recently passed UPSC prelims and returned to Delhi to prepare for mains.
🔒 Trapped in Lift
Dhirendra entered the lift at Vishal Mega Mart just minutes before the fire broke out.
A power cut due to the fire trapped him inside.
As smoke filled the lift, he began suffocating.
💬 Final Messages
At 6:51 PM, he sent a WhatsApp message to his brother, Virendra:
“Bhaiya, ham lift mein gas gaye hain Karol Bagh Mega Mart.”
“Aur bhaiya saans ful rahi hai, kuch karo.”
“Brother, we are stuck in the lift at Karol Bagh Mega Mart. I can’t breathe. Do something.”
He also tried calling, but no help arrived in time.
These were his last messages before suffocating inside the lift.
⚰️ Body Recovery
Despite his pleas, Dhirendra’s body was only recovered around 2:30 AM—8 hours later.
His body was found inside the lift, unconscious with burn marks, blood around the nose, and signs of severe smoke inhalation.
His brother, Virendra, a lawyer, said:
“He was alive when he sent the message. But no one came in time. His lungs were burnt from the smoke. My mother doesn’t even know he’s gone.”
2. Pawan Gautam
Age: 30
Hometown: Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
Profession: Lab Technician
Pawan’s charred body was recovered from the second floor of the building.
🧯 Fire Safety Violations
The building lacked basic fire safety:
No fire alarms
No sprinklers
No proper emergency exits
Poor ventilation system
No valid fire NOC (No Objection Certificate)
Officials confirmed the building did not meet fire safety standards.
🕵️ Investigation & Legal Action
Police FIR registered under IPC sections related to negligence, death due to carelessness, and safety violations.
An investigation is underway to determine:
Whether proper licenses and permissions were in place
Who is accountable for the deaths
Why there was no immediate rescue effort for the lift despite repeated SOS messages.
🗣️ Family & Public Outrage
Dhirendra’s brother, Virendra, claims:
“The police did not open the lift for hours despite my constant calls and location updates.”
“The store had no safety. They let people in with no exit plan.”
“My brother suffocated while waiting for help. No one saved him.”
Public anger is growing on social media over:
Negligence by mall authorities
Delayed response by emergency services
Lack of transparency and accountability
🕰️ Timeline of Events
TimeEvent Description6:44 PMFire breaks out on second floor (suspected short circuit)6:50–6:51 PMDhirendra gets trapped in lift; sends last message to brother7:00 PMVirendra’s friend arrives at the scene, requests help, is denied access9:00 PMFire is controlled, but interior searches remain delayed2:30 AMDhirendra’s body is found in the lift; Pawan Gautam’s body on second floor
💔 Conclusion
The Karol Bagh Vishal Mega Mart fire claimed two innocent lives, with Dhirendra’s final messages highlighting a heartbreaking failure of response systems. A promising civil service aspirant lost his life due to gross negligence, and his family was left helpless. The tragedy exposed major fire safety lapses, prompting public outcry and legal investigation.
#KarolBaghFire
#VishalMegaMartTragedy
#JusticeForDhirendra
#FireSafetyFailure
#DelhiFireIncident
#NegligenceKills
#UPSCaspirant
#IndiaCrying
#TrappedAndIgnored
#HeartbreakingTruth
