Fire breaks out on 21st Floor of Noida high-rise; no casualties

A fire triggered by an AC blast on the 21st floor of a Noida high-rise caused significant damage but no injuries; over ₹10 lakh loss reported.

Noida: A massive fire broke out on the 21st floor of a high-rise building in Noida’s Sector 119 on Monday morning following a blast in the indoor unit of an air conditioner (AC), said officials, adding that the blaze caused extensive damage to the property but no casualties were reported.

The blaze was controlled within half-an-hour, and the occupants of the flat managed to evacuate before the fire could engulf the entire apartment, said fire officials. Times) (HT Photo)

Investigation found that a man and his daughter were inside the flat when the AC blasted in the daughter’s room who was asleep. The family tried to douse the fire but when they failed, they vacated the flat and called the emergency helpline on 112.

“The fire control room was informed around 8.50am that a fire had broken out at a high-rise building in Sector 119,” said Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, chief fire officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, told HT.

According to fire officials, the blaze was controlled within half-an-hour, and the occupants of the flat managed to evacuate before the fire could engulf the entire apartment.

Officials said 15 firefighters with six fire engines rushed to the spot, and the blaze was contained inside flat number 2105 before it could spread to the adjacent flats.

“We connected hose pipes to the society’s firefighting hydrant and another from our fire engine on the ground,” said Yogendra Prasad, fire officer, Phase 3, adding, “Two teams worked from the adjacent balconies, while another team entered the flat wearing breathing apparatus (BA) sets.”

Fire officials said the flat owner suffered an estimated loss of over ₹10-15 lakh due to the fire, as the apartment has been extensively damaged. Most household items, including furniture, electrical appliances, interiors and personal belongings, were gutted in the blaze.

Officials said the exact assessment of the losses is yet to be carried out, but the damage is believed to be substantial.

A fire official, requesting anonymity, told HT, “The sprinklers in the flat were not in working condition. We have also written letters to the society’s maintenance to resolve the issue.”

Officials said it is yet to be examined if the AC had not been serviced or was being operated at very low temperatures.

Notably, the district has reported more than 100 AC blast cases in the last two months during summer.