Two bodies retrieved from fire-struck Vishal Mega Mart in Karol Bagh

Two men died in the fire that broke out at Vishal Mega Mart in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area, police said on Saturday.

Kumar Dhirender Pratap, 25, was found dead inside a lift. He is suspected to have died of suffocation, according to police.

Another male charred body was recovered from the building later during the cooling operations. Efforts are on to identify the second body.


At 6.51 pm on Friday, Dhirender began sending desperate messages to his elder brother from inside the lift. "Bhaiya (brother)," he first wrote, followed by, "Hum lift mein hoon. Gas (sic) gaye hain. Karol Bagh Mega Mart."

His final message, also sent at 6.51 pm, read, "Ab saans phool raha. Kuchh karo" (I am short of breath now. Do something).

There were no further messages from him.

The fire was reported at 6.44 pm from the second floor of the four-storey commercial building located on Padam Singh Road.

"This is a Vishal Mega Mart outlet where grocery and fabric items are sold. The fire was confined mainly to the second floor," a Delhi Police statement said.

Thirteen fire tenders were deployed to douse the blaze, and around 90 firefighters were involved in the operation.

Officials said the firefighting effort was prolonged due to inadequate ventilation inside the premises.

While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, preliminary indications point to a suspected short circuit, they said.

A case under relevant sections is likely to be registered, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway.