A tragic fire claimed the life of a 68-year-old doctor, Dr. Bhim Sen Seth, on Tuesday evening in Laxmi Nagar, East Delhi. The incident occurred on the ground floor of a four-story building, where the doctor resided. The police confirmed receiving a call about the fire at 7:11 pm, and two fire tenders were dispatched to the scene.
Fire Suspected to Be Caused by Fireworks
Dr. Seth’s family alleged that the fire was ignited by children throwing fireworks inside the house as a prank. However, police officials have clarified that the exact cause is still under investigation, and no conclusion has been reached yet.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Vineet Kumar stated, “We have notified his family, and inquest proceedings have been initiated.” Investigators and a forensic team are scheduled to visit the site on Wednesday to assess the circumstances of the fire. Meanwhile, CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed to verify the family’s claims.
Victim Found Trapped and Taken to Hospital
When first responders arrived at the site, they found that the fire was confined to the ground floor. Dr. Seth was discovered trapped beneath an almirah, suffering severe burn injuries. It is suspected that he may have tried to escape but was unable to free himself from under the fallen furniture.
He was immediately rushed to Dr. Hedgewar Hospital by the police, where doctors declared him brought dead. The victim’s body has been shifted to the Subzi Mandi mortuary for postmortem, which will determine whether the death resulted from burns, suffocation, or any other fatal injury.
Family Living Abroad Informed of Tragic Incident
Dr. Seth lived alone in the Laxmi Nagar residence. His 65-year-old wife resides in Switzerland, while his 35-year-old son lives in the United States and his 27-year-old daughter is based in Germany. All family members have been informed and are expected to arrive in India soon for the last rites.
The victim’s brother-in-law, Jugal Kishore Malhotra, a Laxmi Nagar resident, confirmed that Dr. Seth had no domestic help and spent most of his time at his nearby clinic. “We were told by locals that children had been bursting firecrackers outside and throwing them inside the house. It seems he might have been asleep when the fire broke out,” Malhotra said.
Malhotra added that local residents tried to extinguish the flames before the fire tenders arrived, preventing the fire from spreading to other floors. “The blaze was moderate, but it trapped him inside,” he remarked.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, with both the police and forensics team working to determine the events that led to this tragic accident.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)
