Ex-IAS officer Dhanendra Kumar's 80th b’day, London trip, reunion plans gutted in fatal house blaze; how family tried to save him in vain

NEW DELHI: On Saturday, retired IAS officer Dhanendra Kumar was to host a pre-birthday celebration at the Gymkhana Club ahead of his 80th birthday on June 6, surrounded by friends and family members.

Days later, he and his wife and son were expected to fly to London.

But on Wednesday night, days before he was to blow out the candles on his big day, an air conditioner exploded in his Delhi home, filling the rooms with smoke and fire so fierce that he never made it.

His son Gaurav, a businessman based in London, had arrived in Delhi just a few days earlier to accompany his father on the trip. His daughter and her two children were also expected to join them there before returning to India with parents.

“Hours before the incident, the family was sitting at the dining table discussing their plans. Later, the father and son retired to their respective rooms,” said Kumar’s manager, Abhishek.

Gaurav was on the phone with his wife in London when the indoor unit of the AC in his room caught fire.

Family’s best efforts to save life in vain

The false ceiling quickly fuelled the fire, which jumped and began to devour the furniture. Gaurav rushed out to rescue his father and mother, who uses a wheelchair.

His wife immediately alerted Abhishek. The smoke and fire crossed the dining room and began to billow into the adjoining room of his father, who was in the washroom.

“We kept calling out to him. He responded not once, but twice. But the moment he came out, he collapsed,” said another staffer, Deepak. “Nothing was visible,” he said.

A security guard and Gaurav, fighting the suffocating fumes, dragged Kumar out. Meanwhile, a house help safely guided Kumar’s wife in the dining room away from the spreading fire.

The dense smoke and intense heat soon overcame Gaurav as well. He collapsed midway, but the house staff pulled him away to safety.

But the fire and smoke ultimately claimed Kumar’s life. He died during treatment on Thursday. Postmortem is awaited to know the exact cause of death.

Remembering him, the staff said Kumar always treated them like family.

“Even at the age of 79, he remained extremely energetic and dedicated to his work. He was the chairman of an advisory firm. Seeing his discipline and enthusiasm motivated all of us. He used to work from 7 am to 9 pm,” said Abhishek. “He was a loving and devoted husband who used to take care of his wife,” said Abhishek.