Family Tragedy: AC Blast Claims Lives of Couple, Daughter & Pet, Son Critically Injured After Escape Attempt
Family Tragedy: AC Blast Claims Lives of Couple, Daughter & Pet, Son Critically Injured After Escape Attempt
A devastating fire incident in Faridabad’s Green Field Colony has left a family shattered, claiming the lives of a man, his wife, their young daughter, and the family dog after an air conditioner on the floor below caught fire and exploded in the middle of the night. Their teenage son, Aryan, barely escaped with his life after leaping from the upper floor in a desperate attempt to survive. The horrifying incident took place around 1:30 AM on Monday, when an AC compressor on the first floor of a four-storey building exploded. The unit, which had reportedly undergone recent repairs, ignited a fire that quickly engulfed the vacant floor and filled the upper floors with dense, toxic smoke.
The Kapoor family, who lived on the second floor, were asleep when the fire broke out. The victims have been identified as Sachin Kapoor (52), his wife Rinku Kapoor (46), and their 13-year-old daughter Sujan Kapoor. Their pet dog also perished in the smoke.
Their son, Aryan, a student who had recently returned from Dehradun, was sleeping in a separate room when the smoke reached their home. Realizing the danger, he attempted to flee and eventually managed to escape by smashing a window near the terrace door and jumping to a neighbouring rooftop with help from locals. He suffered multiple injuries, including fractures, and is currently hospitalized in critical condition. According to investigators, the first floor where the fire originated was unoccupied at the time. The intense smoke rapidly spread through the building’s staircase, trapping the Kapoor family as they attempted to evacuate.
Fire officials believe the family was awakened by the smoke and initially tried to escape via the stairs, but the flames made it impassable. They then turned back, attempting to access the terrace, but found the door locked. Tragically, they appear to have collapsed from smoke inhalation while trapped between the third and fourth floors. An officer involved in the rescue operations stated, “It took about 45 minutes for teams to reach the victims’ location, but by that time, the smoke had likely taken its toll.”
The third floor of the building, which served as Sachin Kapoor’s stock market investment office, also became inaccessible due to the spreading fire. Meanwhile, the Malik family on the first floor, where the fire originated, narrowly escaped the blaze.
A fire official shared, “The mother, Ritu Malik, was the first to notice the smoke. She quickly woke her husband and children, and they escaped through the ground floor, warning others along the way.”
A family of seven living on the fourth floor was also trapped due to the thick smoke and locked terrace gate. Firefighters had to cut through the metal gate to rescue them. Authorities noted that the AC that triggered the fire had been serviced only a month ago. While it remains unclear whether the fire resulted from a faulty AC or damaged, outdated wiring, the building’s owner, Rakesh Yadav, had reportedly planned to replace some electrical lines in the first-floor flat.
Fire department officials highlighted a growing concern: “In areas where old wiring and overloaded electrical appliances are common, even a small fault can have deadly consequences—especially at night when people are most vulnerable.”
As dawn broke, grief-stricken neighbours and relatives gathered outside the blackened remains of the building. The bodies of the Kapoor family were handed over to their relatives after an autopsy at Badshah Khan Hospital. Police confirmed suffocation as the apparent cause of death, though a detailed post-mortem report is awaited. Speaking to the media, neighbour Mayank recounted the moment of the explosion, saying, “We heard a huge blast and rushed out to try and help everyone in the building.”
