Two minors die after fire breaks out in furniture shop in Delhi
New Delhi: Two minor children died after a massive fire broke out in a four-storey building in Delhi on Tuesday morning, police said.
According to fire officials, they received a call at around 1.06 pm regarding the fire at a building at Shaheen Bagh's Abu Fazal Enclave area. Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control at around 1.50 pm, the department said.
The fire broke out around 1 pm on the first floor of a house owned by a person named Ehsaan Malik. The deceased have been identified as Aisha (6) and his nephew Zayad (5), police said.
Police received information about the fire in a building in Abul Fazal enclave. After reaching the spot, it was found that a fire broke out in a building due to which two children were injured and they were rushed to a nearby hospital, said Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast),
They succumbed to their injuries during treatment, police said.
According to a senior police officer, Hazi Yasin, the owner of the building, used to run a furniture shop at ground floor and at the basement.
He has three sons Salman, Ehsaan and Dilshad. On the first floor, Yasin and his wife used to stay, while his three sons live on the second and third floor of the building with their respective families, police said.
When the incident happened, Yasin, along with Salman, Ehsaan and Dilshad, was at shop while the women of the families were at the second floor and the kids were playing at the first floor.
A short-circuit occurred at the first floor following which the fire engulfed the floor and a thick smoke started coming out of it. The women, who were on the second floor, tried to come down but could not succeed as the fire came to the stairs, police said.
They were rescued from back side of the building by police and the locals but the kids could not be saved as they were trapped at the first floor which was completely gutted by the time the fire department doused the fire, they said.
Zayad had sustained 100-per cent burns and Aisha died due to suffocation, the officer said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India misses 2025 TB elimination target; cases stand at 185 per 100,000 population
New Delhi: India reported an estimated 2.7 million tuberculosis cases in 2025 which translates into an incidence of 185 cases per 100,000 population, according to the latest official update on the disease burden.
The figure is more than four times the elimination benchmark set under the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis. The plan had aimed to bring down incidence to 44 cases per 100,000 population and mortality to three per 100,000 by 2025. The target was announced in March 2017 and was set five years ahead of the global End TB goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Data indicate that TB notifications have increased by 13 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels, as IndiaSpend reported in July 2025. Public health experts have said higher notification does not necessarily reflect a rise in incidence, but indicate improved case detection. Authorities have stepped up efforts to improve reporting and plug gaps in diagnosis and treatment, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
According to a 2019 study published in PLOS Medicine, the most substantial gap occurs during the testing stage, with nearly half of those with incident tuberculosis not receiving diagnostic tests. Experts say stigma, restricted availability to molecular testing, and dependence on sputum microscopy continue to impede early detection.
According to official data, 19.3 million smear microscopy tests were performed in 2023, compared to 6.83 million molecular tests using the CBNAAT/GeneXpert and Truenat platforms, indicating that smear-based diagnosis will continue to be used. While doctors report inconsistent implementation across regions, legislation mandates 100% molecular testing for suspected tuberculosis patients.
Health officials point to the increase of diagnostic infrastructure, which includes approximately 10,000 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test equipment and over 25,000 microscopy centers across the country. Eexperts identify operational difficulties such as specimen transportation, machine maintenance, supplier chains, and unequal distribution of skilled staff.
Under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the government has expanded active case-finding in high-risk areas and identified 1.58 lakh vulnerable villages and urban wards using an AI-based mapping tool. Under which the latest campaign document states that of the 2.73 million cases reported in 2025, 35 per cent were asymptomatic.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
The government increased financial aid for Tuberculosis patients under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana to ₹1,000 per month, as the disease is mostly linked with malnutrition and poor living conditions and those with a BMI less than 18.5 are given energy-dense nutritional supplements for the first two months of therapy.
