72-year-old woman dies in building fire in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh; several rescued

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) An elderly woman died and several others were rescued after a massive fire broke out in a residential building in southeast Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area on Wednesday, police said.

They said preliminary investigations suggest she died due to suffocation caused by smoke inhalation.

The woman, identified as Fazila Kishwar (72), had pre-existing respiratory ailments, which may have worsened her condition during the incident, the police said.

According to the police, the Delhi Fire Services received a call regarding the blaze at 4.41 am, following which four fire tenders and four ambulances were rushed to the spot.

"The SHO, along with police staff, rushed to the spot immediately, while senior officers supervised the rescue and firefighting operations," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.

Police personnel assisted fire fighters in evacuating residents and managing the crowd to ensure safe access for emergency responders.

Five residents including the elderly woman, were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, the officer said. She died during treatment at the hospital.

Apart from the loss of life, the fire caused extensive damaged to vehicles parked near the building. Two cars, a motorcycle and a scooter were completely or partially burnt.

The blaze was brought under control after sustained efforts. The affected area was cordoned off to allow emergency teams to carry out cooling operations and inspections.

"Legal action is being taken as per law and an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. Officials are examining factors, including a possible electrical short circuit or other accidental triggers," the DCP added. PTI BM AKY