Fire breaks out in house in Delhi, three rescued

New Delhi: Three people were rescued after a major fire broke out in a house in southeast Delhi's Lajpat Nagar area in the early hours of Sunday, officials said.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said they received a call about the blaze, which broke out on the first floor of the house, at 1:57 am and five fire engines were pressed into service.

'We learnt that some people were trapped inside the house. Our team rescued three people. Two senior citizens, one of whom is differently-abled, were among those rescued,' a senior DFS official said.

Those rescued were rushed to a nearby hospital with minor burn injuries, he said.

'Police were informed about the incident. It appears that a short circuit caused the fire,' the official said.

Meanwhile, police said that they got information about the fire at 2 am.

'The SHO along with the staff reached the spot and started the rescue work with the help of local residents as fire tenders were on their way,' a senior police officer said.

The officer further said that after the fire tenders reached, the blaze was controlled in about half an hour and all the people trapped on the second and third floors of the building were rescued.

Three people reported breathing difficulty due to smoke and they were shifted to hospital, the officer said.

'The fire had broken out due to a short circuit and spread on the first floor where clothes were stored. Appropriate action is being taken in the matter,' the officer added.

Police said that the building in which fire broke out was built on a 40-square-yard plot and is a four-storied building.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, said the police officer.