In north Delhi's Sadar Bazar two sisters died after a fire broke out at a building

A crime team was called for inspection and will take legal action...

In north Delhi's Sadar Bazar two sisters died after a fire broke out at a building in on Tuesday. Fire department officials said it is suspected that the blaze may have originated from an air-conditioner.

Gulashna (14) and Anaya (12) lived with their parents and brother at Amanat House in Sardar Basti. At the time of the incident, their father Haji Saalim Shabbu, a meat exporter, was in Lucknow while their mother and brother were sleeping on the first floor. The girls were on the second floor, a senior cop said.

The fire department was alerted about the blaze by a local around 2.20pm. Four fire tenders, carrying 25 firefighters, rushed to the spot and began a rescue operation at the four-storey building, a senior fire official said.

A senior police officer said when the fire started, the woman, along with her son, a guard and the domestic helpers, came down from the house. However, by the time she tried to go back up to rescue her daughters, the fire had already spread. "The woman couldn't tell us in which room their children were," he said, adding, "Due to heavy smoke filling the building, we were unable to enter from the front and had to use breathing apparatus."

The fire department said the blaze may have originated from a recreational room on the upper ground floor. This hall contained a big home theatre setup and had extensive interior decor. A possible cause, the department said, could be an explosion from the AC unit's compressor. The combustible materials in the hall likely acted as a catalyst, it added.

The girls were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared brought dead. "A crime team was called for inspection and will take legal action," the police officer said. A case under Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) of IPC has been registered

Delhi revenue minister Atishi sought a report from district officials. "The incident is very sad. The loss of lives of two girls is extremely unfortunate," she said.

Mustafa Qureshi, one of the family's neighbors, said the sisters were students at a prominent school. "The building where the incident took place is one of the largest and most luxurious in the area, with more than 20 rooms," he said. The residents tried to douse the blaze, but were unable to. Qureshi said the house has several central locking systems, which made entering the house a tough task for the firefighters. The family and other residents of the area were preparing for Eid, but the deaths have dampened the mood, Qureshi said.