A 25-year-old UPSC aspirant, Kumar Dhirender Pratap, lost his life after getting trapped in an elevator during a fire at Vishal Mega Mart in Delhi’s Karol Bagh.
His last message to his brother was heartbreaking:
“Bhaiya, ab saans phool raha. Kuch karo…”
(“Brother, I can’t breathe. Do something.”)
What Happened?
On the evening of the incident, Dhirender had gone shopping at Vishal Mega Mart. Around 6:51 PM, he sent a WhatsApp message to his elder brother, Virendra Vikram, saying he was stuck in the lift and couldn’t breathe. He even called him and pleaded for help.
Virendra immediately contacted the police, but he claimed that they didn’t respond until 9 PM. For hours, there was no update, and he felt helpless. He also said that the store staff turned off the power, ignored their pleas, and left the place.
Despite the family’s desperate efforts, Dhirender’s body was found only later during a joint rescue operation by the police, fire brigade, and disaster response team. Another unidentified male body was also found in the building.
Virendra shared that his brother died from suffocation, and it was clear from his condition that he had suffered greatly.
Family in Shock
Dhirender’s mother, who lives in Banaras, has not yet been told about his death. The family fears she won’t be able to handle the shock.
Dhirender had recently appeared for the UPSC prelims and was staying in a rented accommodation in Karol Bagh.
Virendra said, “My brother was everything to me. Seeing him like that broke something inside me.”
