A horrifying fire incident at Green Field Colony in Faridabad claimed the lives of three members of a family and their pet dog in the early hours of Sunday. The tragedy occurred when an air conditioner’s compressor in a neighbouring flat exploded, filling the victims’ home with thick smoke.

The deceased have been identified as Sachin Kapoor (49), his wife Rinku Kapoor (48), and their 13-year-old daughter Sujan Kapoor. The family dog also died in the incident. The couple’s elder son, Aryan Kapoor (24), survived after he leapt from the balcony of their second-floor apartment. He suffered multiple leg fractures and is currently in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

The blast reportedly took place between 1:30 am and 3:00 am on the first floor of a rented four-storey residential building. The unit where the AC was installed was vacant at the time. The explosion led to a fire, and heavy smoke quickly rose to the upper floors particularly the second floor, where the Kapoor family was sleeping.

According to neighbours, the family attempted to reach the terrace for safety but were unable to escape because the rooftop door was locked. Trapped inside, they succumbed to the smoke that had engulfed the flat by the time emergency services arrived.

Resident Recalls Rescue, Shocking Video Surfaces

A resident of the building, Mayank, who was among the first to respond, recalled, “We then rushed to rescue other people in the building,” after being awakened by a loud blast.

Another video circulating online shows flames bursting from the AC unit installed on a balcony. In the footage, the flat’s occupant, devastated by the fire, is heard pleading for help: “Mera pura ghar jal gaya, help us. Guruji please help us…”

Emergency crews, including firefighters and police, reached the scene and transported the victims to Badhshah Khan Hospital, where doctors confirmed the deaths. The police have taken the bodies for postmortem examination, and while preliminary assessments point to a short circuit and an AC compressor explosion, officials say the exact cause will be confirmed following a thorough investigation.

“A massive fire caused by an AC blast has taken three lives,” one official said. The house, according to reports, was completely filled with smoke by the time rescue operations began.

Tragedy Leaves Local Community in Mourning

The entire locality has been left stunned by the incident, with residents mourning the loss of the family. “There is mourning in the area after the accident, and the neighbors are shocked by this tragedy,” said a local source.

This is not the first such case in recent months. In March, an individual lost his life in Delhi’s Krishna Nagar due to a similar AC compressor explosion. Another incident in May in Uttar Pradesh resulted in one death and another person being injured during AC maintenance.

The increasing dependence on air conditioning systems in India, especially during the scorching summer months, has raised concerns. A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) last year highlighted that India’s electricity demand for cooling is among the fastest-growing globally, and may soon surpass many other nations in energy consumption related to air conditioning.