'Mujhe bacha lo, main lift mein phas gaya hoon' last words of UPSC aspirant who died in the blaze at Vishal Megamart in Delhi

The body of 26-year-old Dhirendra Pratap Singh was found eight hours after his death in a lift at Vishal Mega Mart in Delhi’s Karol Bagh, where he had been trapped during a major fire on Friday evening. Singh, a UPSC aspirant, died of suffocation after sending desperate messages and calls for help that went unanswered.

Trapped in elevator, sent final message
Rescue teams recovered Singh’s body from the elevator around 2:30 a.m. Moments before his death, he sent a WhatsApp message to his brother that read, “Bhaiya, I’m stuck in the lift... I can’t breathe... please save me.” He also made phone calls seeking help as reported by ANI.

A native of Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, Singh had been staying in a paying guest accommodation in Karol Bagh while preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. He had recently cleared the Preliminary stage and was studying for the Mains. He held a degree in Political Science and was pursuing a Master's.

Fire department confirms investigation underway
Delhi Fire Service officer Ravi Nath stated that a fire call was received at 6:44 p.m. on Friday from Vishal Mega Mart. “It’s a ground plus three-floor structure. One male body was recovered from the lift around 2 a.m.. The cause of the fire, availability of fire safety equipment, and status of fire NOC are under investigation,” he said to ANI.

Family alleges negligence by staff and authorities
Singh’s brother, Vikram Singh, said, “My brother had gone to Vishal Mega Mart to shop in the evening. At 6:51 p.m., I received a WhatsApp message from him saying he had been trapped inside the lift and was struggling to breathe. He called me too and said, ‘Mujhe bacha lo, main lift mein phas gaya hoon, saans phool rahi hai.’(Help me, I am having difficulty breathing)

Describing him as disciplined and hard-working, Vikram added, “He wanted to serve the country as a civil servant. Instead, due to someone else’s carelessness, he died a painful death.”

He also alleged that the store staff fled the scene after turning off the power and failed to respond. “No one tried to rescue him. Even the police did not respond initially. We kept pleading for help till late at night. It was only at 2:30 a.m. that the store acknowledged someone was trapped inside,” he said.

Sister questions mall safety protocols
Dhirendra’s sister, Dr Swati, expressed her grief and frustration, stating, “My brother is gone, but their mall will reopen. People use lifts with trolley bags every day in malls. Why did no one check if anyone was inside? They turned off the power and left. Their store will be repaired, but my brother won’t come back.”

(With inputs from ANI)