Fire breaks out at two garment units in Noida Sector 63; no casualties

A fire caused by an AC explosion damaged two garment units in Noida, but all 150 workers evacuated safely; no injuries reported.

Noida: A major fire engulfed two garment manufacturing units in Sector 63 after an air-conditioner (AC) installed in one of the units exploded on Saturday afternoon, fire department officials said.

Nearly 150 workers present inside safely evacuated the premises after the fire broke out, officials said. (Sunil Ghosh / HT)

The blaze caused significant damage inside the units, but no injuries or casualties were reported, officials said. Nearly 150 workers present inside safely evacuated the premises after the fire broke out, they added.

According to the fire department, the incident was reported around 2pm and fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The blaze prompted a large-scale firefighting operation involving 16 fire tenders, officials said.

Chief fire officer (CFO) of Gautam Budh Nagar, Pradeep Kumar, said the fire broke out after an air-conditioner installed in one of the units exploded, causing flames to rapidly spread across both factories.

“The fire had spread considerably by the time the teams reached the spot. Fire tenders from nearby stations, including units from Ghaziabad and private companies, were also roped in,” CFO Kumar said, adding that the blaze was brought under control in about an hour.

“The fire affected the ground and second floors. Our priority was to stop it from spreading to nearby companies, and we were successful in doing so,” he added.

CFO Kumar added that fire incidents tend to rise during the summer due to heavy electricity loads and faulty wiring.

The incident comes hours after a fire broke out at Shahberi Market in Greater Noida following an alleged short circuit in a shop on Friday night. The blaze spread to adjoining establishments, damaging at least eight shops. Officials confirmed that no injuries or loss of life were reported in either case.