Ghaziabad: 25 people rescued after a fire at residential building

This incident follows two other recent fires in the region. On June 12, a fire in Loni’s Lal Bagh Colony claimed the lives of a 74-year-old mother and her 42-year-old daughter

The Ghaziabad police and fire department conducted a successful joint rescue operation that lasted for two hours, evacuating 25 people from a residential building in Ankur Vihar, Loni, after a fire broke out in the building on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, police said.

Officials said that 11 vehicles, including two cars were charred due to the fire as it originated from an electrical panel situated on the stilt floor. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Officials said that 11 vehicles, including two cars were charred due to the fire as it originated from an electrical panel situated on the stilt floor. The residential building consisted of three additional floors, encompassing a total of 12 flats.

The fire department received an emergency call at approximately 12.40 am on Saturday and promptly dispatched two fire tenders from Loni, while another was summoned from the Sahibabad fire station.

Rahul Pal, the chief fire officer (CFO), said, “The fire started from an electrical panel where all electricity meters were installed, and it is suspected that an electrical short circuit was the cause. It quickly spread, with thick smoke billowing out and advancing towards the upper floors. Our firefighters entered the building, utilizing ladders for assistance, and successfully rescued 25 residents from 10 flats. Two unoccupied and locked flats were thoroughly searched.”

“Residents from the upper floors were brought down to the first floor, where they were safely rescued using ladders placed outside the building. The operation persisted until 2 am. The fire tenders effectively controlled and prevented the fire from spreading to the upper floors. Any delay would have resulted in more extensive damage,” Pal added.

Officials said that the electricity supply to the area was cut off during the incident to facilitate the rescue efforts.

Rajneesh Kumar Upadhyaya, the assistant commissioner of police (Loni), said, “The fire was extinguished promptly, and no injuries or casualties were reported. However, the fire did cause damage to the 11 vehicles parked in the building.”

This incident follows two other recent fires in the region. On June 12, a fire in Loni’s Lal Bagh Colony claimed the lives of a 74-year-old mother and her 42-year-old daughter. Additionally, a day later, a fire in Muradnagar’s Surana engulfed several shanties, resulting in the death of a five-year-old girl and burn injuries to her one-and-a-half-year-old sister.