New Delhi: Sunday’s pre-dawn blaze triggered a high-stakes rescue operation that pushed emergency services to their limits. Firefighters waged a gruelling five-hour battle against the flames, executing a series of daring manoeuvres through balconies and windows, in the process evacuating 17 to 18 residents. Witnesses credited the coordinated efforts of more than 70 responders for preventing more loss of life.The firefighters rushed to the scene in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar after getting an alert at 3.47 am. “We deployed five ladders, cutting tools and our specialised turntable ladder to conduct simultaneous firefighting and rescue operations,” Delhi Fire Service officer Mukesh Verma said.However, protective grilles and bars installed on the windows posed a hurdle for the firefighters during the rescue operation. “Another major problem was that electronic locks installed in the flats malfunctioned during the blaze, possibly trapping residents inside,” said a firefighter. The blaze broke out at the rear of the four-storey building — each floor has two 4BHK flats — where most of the fatalities occurred, he added.A station officer said that three teams started firefighting while others focused on rescue operations. Entering the building was difficult as the only staircase was engulfed in fire and smoke. “Adding to our difficulties were the toughened glass and flammable decorations made of plastic and wood, which acted as a catalyst in spreading the blaze,” he said.The biggest risk was in the parking area, where at least 12 vehicles, many of them electric, were on charge. Had the fire reached the parking, it could have led to a disaster of a bigger magnitude, Verma said.To enter the building, the firefighters started spraying water on it from all four sides. They used a hydraulic lift as well. Finally, when they managed to enter through the main gate, they found the door to the terrace locked. Three people were found lying on the stairs near the door. “It appears that they tried to reach the terrace but were trapped by the door and choked by heavy smoke. We cut the lock and went to the terrace,” the officer said.The building has a lift, but it stopped functioning during the blaze. Firefighters checked it thoroughly, but no one was found inside.The rear side of the house was covered with steel grilles, leaving no access point. To mount a rescue from the back, firefighters connected multiple hoses and directed them towards that side. “Some of them climbed onto neighbouring houses and began dousing the flames. They then brought a ladder to reach the grilles, where three people were trapped, and started cutting through the heavy metal,” Verma said.The aftermath of the operation was grim, with a video shot by the firefighters showing charred bodies, collapsed structures and debris in the building covered with soot stains. The staircase was littered with rubble and peeled-off plaster. A heavy stream of water poured from the ceiling onto the stairs — likely from a broken pipe or a fire suppression system.