‘Please save me’: UPSC aspirant's haunting final text to brother before death in Karol Bagh's Vishal Mega Mart inferno

Vishal Mega Mart fire: A 26-year-old UPSC aspirant suffocated to death after being trapped in a lift during a fire at Vishal Mega Mart in Delhi's Karol Bagh on Friday evening.

Moments before his death, the 26-year-old — Dhirendra Pratap Singh — sent a desperate message to his brother on WhatsApp, saying, "Bhaiya, I'm stuck in the lift...I can't breathe... please save me."

He also made calls pleading for help, but was not rescued in time, reported ANI.

The UPSC aspirant was found dead inside the elevator nearly eight hours after the fire broke out.

So far, two bodies have been retrieved from the fire-struck outlet, police said. The other charred body that was recovered during the cooling operations, is yet to be identified, reported PTI.

Vishal Mega Mart fire

The fire at Karol Bagh's Vishal Mega Mart outlet was reported at 6.44 pm, and was mainly confined to the second floor.

According to PTI, Dhirendra's body was recovered from around the lift at 2:30 am by rescuers.

Officials said the firefighting effort was prolonged due to inadequate ventilation inside the premises.

Victim's family breaks down

Holding back his tears, Dhirendra's brother Vikram recounted the tragedy, stating that the victim had gone to Vishal Mega Mart to shop in the evening.

The deceased's brother also alleged that the staff of Vishal Mega Mart – where the fire broke out — did not respond and that they switched off the power and fled.

“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 AM that the store acknowledged someone was trapped inside,” Vikram told ANI.

Dhirendra, a native of Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, had recently cleared the Prelims and was preparing for the Mains exam. He used to live in a PG in Karol Bagh.

Cause of fire

While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, officials said preliminary indications point to a suspected short circuit.

A case under relevant sections is also likely to be registered, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway.

Three UPSC aspirants killed

The harrowing death of the 26-year-old UPSC aspirant comes less than a year after three UPSC aspirants were killed in Delhi.

The students were killed in July 2024 after they were trapped for over four hours when water suddenly gushed into the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle— a popular coaching centre in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar.