Massive blaze at high-rise guts several flats in Ghaziabad; no casualties

The fire started in a flat on the ninth floor and spread to upper floors.

A massive blaze at a high-rise residential building in Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram on Wednesday morning burnt through at least eight flats and damaged another four-to-six and was brought under control after a two-hour firefighting operation, officials said, adding that no casualties was reported.

Officials acknowledged that on-ground challenges complicated the operation. Additional district magistrate Saurabh Bhatt said the tower’s location – with a large park in front – prevented fire tenders from approaching close enough to deploy equipment effectively. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Fire department officials said they received a call at around 8.50am reporting the blaze, after which five fire tenders arrived at the spot. The blaze, they said, appeared to have started from a flat on the ninth floor of Gaur Green Avenue, and spread quickly to the flats on the five floors above. They said that initial investigation suggested as the fire was caused by a short-circuit, but the exact cause will be known after a detailed inquiry.

“The fire started in a flat on the ninth floor and spread to upper floors. Prima facie, it appears to have been caused by a short circuit, but the exact cause will be known after a detailed inquiry, which will take about three days,” said chief fire officer Rahul Pal.

Officials acknowledged that on-ground challenges complicated the operation. (HT gfx)

As the blaze intensified, authorities scaled up the response, eventually deploying 17 fire tenders and arranging two hydraulic platforms – one each from Ghaziabad and Noida – designed to tackle fires in high-rise structures. Around 70 firefighters, along with teams from the state disaster response force and district administration, were involved in the operation, officials said.

“In all, eight flats suffered damage, and four to six others suffered lesser but significant damage. Of these, five flats were found locked, so our teams had to break and cut through the doors using rescue cutters. These flats had iron doors in front and wooden doors inside, which caused delays. About 22 flats were saved due to timely intervention, and 10 residents were evacuated to safety,” the CFO added.

Despite officials maintaining that the initial response was swift, with the first tenders reaching the site within minutes, several residents claimed that the early firefighting effort struggled to cope with the scale and height of the blaze. Videos circulating on social media showed residents attempting to douse flames using water from household pipes in adjacent towers, while some alleged that fire tenders were stationed about 100 metres away and their water sprinklers could not reach even 25 metres.

Officials acknowledged that on-ground challenges complicated the operation. Additional district magistrate Saurabh Bhatt said the tower’s location – with a large park in front – prevented fire tenders from approaching close enough to deploy equipment effectively.

“The tower where the fire started has a big park in front. So, the fire tenders could not come close to the tower. Initially we thought to break the boundary wall of the park, but we decided to look for an alternative passage. From the 13th floor of an adjacent tower, we spotted an area from where the fire tenders could come close. The movement of fire tenders was also hampered as cars and vehicles were parked in open spaces of the high-rise,” Bhatt said.

Pal also confirmed that parked vehicles within the society premises delayed the movement of tenders and equipment closer to the building.

Officials, however, noted that the building had valid fire safety clearances and that its installed systems were operational during the incident. RWA representatives said the society’s internal hydrant system worked well and supported the efforts.

Officials said 10 residents were evacuated, including an elderly woman and an 85-year-old bedridden man who was on oxygen support. “They were rescued through stairs. Firefighters took the ailing man along with his oxygen cylinder and bed to the ground floor using the staircase,” a fire department officer said.

The incident caused widespread alarm, with thick plumes of smoke visible from several kilometres away. Residents and neighbours gathered near the site, while traffic on nearby arterial roads, including the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and the Hindon Elevated Road, slowed as motorists stopped to watch.

UP chief minister takes cognisance

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and directed officials to expedite firefighting and relief efforts. In a statement, the state information department said the chief minister had instructed senior officials, including the police commissioner and district magistrate, to reach the spot and ensure no laxity in response.

Ghaziabad district magistrate Ravinder Kumar Mandar, who visited the site along with police officials, said around 60 residents were affected, though none suffered injuries. “We also deployed health department teams as a precaution. Two hydraulic platforms were brought in. Some encroachments that may have affected access have been flagged and will be examined,” he said.