Kin demand bulldozer action after 8 of family die in Delhi fire

Gurgaon: Grief and anger filled the street in Sector 46 on Thursday as friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues gathered to bid farewell to eight members of the Aggarwal family, killed in the fire at a bed-and-breakfast in Delhi’s Hauz Rani the previous day.But amid the mourning, family members demanded strict action against illegal buildings and fire safety violations, holding them responsible for the tragedy.“We call upon the Prime Minister to order bulldozer action not just against the building owner but also against officials who granted permissions or turned a blind eye to violations. If rules and safety norms are not enforced in the national capital, what can people expect elsewhere in the country? An entire family was destroyed because those in authority failed to act,” said one family member.Five ambulances carrying the bodies arrived in the solemn neighbourhood as residents watched from their balconies in silence, and those close to the family pressed forward to receive the dead and support the bereaved.What was meant to be a family gathering around a gravely ill elder turned into a tragedy for the Aggarwals. The family had gathered in Delhi to spend time with 75-year-old Radheshyam Aggarwal, who is undergoing treatment for a lung infection at Max Hospital, Saket, and had booked rooms at the nearby hotel.Among those who died were his wife Premlata (70), son Vivek (47), daughter-in-law Tarjani (42), and granddaughter Varya — fondly known as Pearl (16) — all from the city. Vivek’s elder granddaughter Jivisha, known to the family as Angel (20), had flown in from Bengaluru just hours before the fire broke out. Also among the dead were Premlata’s sister Kamla (52), brother Ashok (56), and brother-in-law Jhaveri, who had travelled from Kishangarh in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district. Relatives said the three had planned to leave earlier but were persuaded by the family to stay on.Vivek was the chief financial officer of a private insurtech company. Tarjani, a beauty pageant title-holder, worked with an event management firm. Angel was pursuing a BTech degree; Pearl was a Class 12 student at DPS Gurgaon.Vijay, Vivek’s cousin, was among the first to reach the scene as the fire tore through the building on Wednesday. “Vivek called me when he was trapped and helpless. He kept urging me to save his family,” Vijay said, fighting back tears. “We grew up together and were extremely close. I still cannot believe he is gone.” Swati, Vivek’s sister-in-law, said she and others managed to pull him out. “We tried administering CPR, but by then he had inhaled too much smoke,” she said.Sitting in the hospital waiting area, relatives recalled that doctors had recently broken the news that Radheshyam did not have much time left. “The family had booked rooms nearby so they could spend as much time as possible with him,” said Lata Aggarwal (59).The Aggarwals had moved from Kotla in Delhi to Sector 47 in 2020 after constructing a house in the locality. Neighbours remembered them as a close-knit and respected family.“Vivek loved cycling and was often seen riding through the colony. The family was humble. It is difficult for anyone here to come to terms with this loss,” said neighbour Ravinder Khatri.