“He came to Delhi just two days before he died. He was holidaying with our parents in Coimbatore after the prelims for civil service exams,” recalled Virendra Pratap Singh, whose younger brother, Kumar Dhirendera Pratap Singh (25), was one of the two victims of the huge fire that engulfed a Vishal Mega Mart outlet in Karol Bagh on Friday.Dhirendra’s body was found in a lift. Shortly before he died, he had sent a WhatsApp message to his brother, pleading for help: “Bhaiya, hum lift mein fass gaye hai… aur bhaiya, saans phool raha hai, kuch karo (Bhaiya, I’m stuck in the lift… and I’m not able to breathe, please help).”Since Friday, Virendra claimed, none of the executives at Vishal Mega Mart have attempted to contact him. “I just want to know who will be held responsible for this,” he said.The family hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district. Dhirendra’s father runs an advertising business, while his mother is a government school teacher.Intending to crack the UPSC exam, he came to Delhi in 2019. He had enrolled at Delhi University for a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He eventually left DU with a Master’s degree in 2024 and then started his UPSC journey.“Dhirendra enrolled in Vajiram and Ravi coaching centre and was living in a paying guest accommodation in Karol Bagh. He gave his first UPSC attempt this year and cleared the prelims. It was unbelievable. Coming from our village, he was the ‘chirag’ (light),” shared Virendra, who works for the family business in their village, and lives there with his wife and parents.Dhirendra’s body was found in a lift. Shortly before he died, he had sent a WhatsApp message to his brother, pleading for helpHe performed the last rites for his younger brother on Sunday around 3 pm.Story continues below this adHe said that he couldn’t stand in front of the burning pyre for more than five minutes. “I don’t know how my brother was feeling with all that smoke inside a lift if I couldn’t bear it for five minutes… can’t imagine his plight,” the 29-year-old shared.Officials suspect the fire broke out after a short circuit occurred on the second floor. The blaze is believed to have quickly spread to the upper floors, and all occupants of the building had to be evacuated. An FIR has been registered at the Karol Bagh police station.Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officers had said they received a call regarding the fire at 6.45 pm. As many as 13 fire tenders and around 90 firefighters were pressed into service to bring the blaze under control.Dhirendra’s body was found inside the lift of the building. “His body was recovered around 3 am. It is suspected that he died due to suffocation,” a police officer had said.Story continues below this adPawan Gautam (30), who worked at Lab Testing MTS and was living in Rajendra Nagar on rent, was the other victim.In the aftermath of the huge fire, it has become challenging for the forensic team to conduct the investigation, said officials.“One more day would be needed for forensic teams to complete their procedure. As of now, we are awaiting the post-mortem results to take the investigation further,” a senior police officer said.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Delhi fireKarol Bagh