New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): Delhi BJP State President Virendra Sachdeva on Sunday expressed grief over the fire incident in Vivek Vihar area of Shahdara, which claimed nine lives, and said preliminary inputs suggest the blaze may have been triggered due to an AC blast.

Calling it a 'very sad incident,' Sachdeva said, 'As per the information we are getting, it seems that there is an AC blast. Police received the first call at 03:45 am, and at around 03:52 am, the fire brigade reached the spot. There are around 14 fire tenders that control the fire. Around 20 people were saved while 9 people died.'

He further said he met the families of the victims and described the scene as deeply distressing. 'I met their families, and the scene is very heart-wrenching. An investigation will be done. The police are saying that one delivery boy saw a spark in the AC, due to which all this happened,' he added.

Sachdeva also reiterated what he heard from the victims' families, saying, 'I met the family members of the victims. They were even saying that the incident happened because of the spark in the AC.'

Earlier in the day, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu expressed grief over the tragedy and directed authorities to ensure proper medical care and relief for the affected families.

According to Delhi Police, the fire broke out early Sunday morning in a four-storey residential building in Vivek Vihar, resulting in the death of nine people and injuries to at least one person. Officials said the fire spread rapidly across multiple floors before being brought under control.

The Delhi Fire Service confirmed that around 12 fire tenders were deployed at the scene, and rescue operations led to the evacuation of 10-15 people. Nine charred bodies were recovered from different floors of the building.

Further investigation is still underway. (ANI)