New Delhi | Three people were killed while two others were critically injured after a fire broke out in a five-storey residential building in southeast Delhi's Govindpuri area in the early hours of Friday, police said.

According to police, a PCR call regarding the blaze was received at Govindpuri police station at around 2.24 am.

The fire erupted in a residential building in Tughlakabad Extension.

"A coordinated evacuation effort was carried out as heavy smoke engulfed the building, trapping several residents inside. Eight occupants were rescued from the structure and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.

Three people were declared dead, including a 22-year-old man and two women, police said.

Two injured persons remain in a critical condition and are undergoing treatment, he added.

Preliminary inquiry suggests that the fire may have originated due to an electrical short circuit on the ground floor of the building.