Fire breaks out at Noida orphanage,16 kids among 19 rescued

It is suspected that the fire broke out due to short circuit in the store room, and was spreading to other floors when firefighters evacuated all the occupants

Noida: Nineteen people, including 16 children, narrowly escaped a blaze that broke out in an orphanage in Noida’s Sector 26 late Friday night, fire officers said on Saturday, adding that it took about two hours to fully douse the fire, but there were no casualties or injuries.

The blaze engulfed the basement and the smoke had reached ground floor before it was extinguished. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The fire damaged documents and files kept in the basement of the building. The blaze engulfed the basement and the smoke had reached ground floor before it was extinguished, officers said.

According to Pradeep Chaubey, chief fire officer, Noida, the fire was reported at the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission orphanage by its caretakers at 2.43am on Saturday, following which two fire tenders were rushed to the spot from the Phase-1 fire station.

“Firefighters reached the spot in five minutes and rescued all 19 occupants of the orphanage, which included three caretakers and 16 children -- all aged between four to 12 years old,” the officer said adding that the orphanage consists of a basement, ground-floor and first-floor. “The fire started in the basement, which is used as a store room.”

He added that no one was hurt in the fire and a head count was also done.

“It is suspected that the fire broke out due to short circuit in the store room, and was soon spreading to the other floors when firefighters evacuated all the occupants in the building. After a headcount was done, the flames were doused completely by the two fire tenders,” Choubey said.