Woman dies in apartment fire in Ghaziabad’s Loni, 16 vehicles gutted

A woman was killed in a fire that started in a residential apartment in Loni's Ankur Vihar. The fire also destroyed several vehicles and injured four policemen.

A 48-year-old woman was killed in a fire that started on the ground floor parking of a residential apartment in Loni’s Ankur Vihar early Friday morning and later spread to her first floor flat, police said, adding that fire rescue personnel found the woman and her husband unconscious in their residence and she later succumbed to smoke inhalation and suffocation.

Police said 12 two-wheelers and four four-wheelers were also gutted, while they rescued 58 persons, including women and children. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The police identified the dead woman as Poonam Sharma, and her husband as Naveen Sharma.

Police said 12 two-wheelers and four four-wheelers were also gutted, while they rescued 58 persons, including women and children.

Officials of the fire department said they received a call around 1.12am on Friday about the fire on the ground-floor parking of a four-storeyed apartment in DLF Ankur Vihar.The department rushed four fire tenders and fire rescue personnel.

“The fire started on the ground floor and engulfed several vehicles parked there. The fire also spread to the adjacent apartment which also has a ground-floor parking and the two parking areas are separated by a gate. Our personnel immediately started dousing the fire while residents in the two buildings, which have about 35 flats, were told to vacate their homes,” said Rahul Pal, chief fire officer (CFO), Gautam Budh Nagar.

He said worried residents of both residential buildings ran towards the terrace and later they were rescued through the terraces of nearby buildings.

“We rescued 58 persons, including women and children.Eight of them, including the woman and her husband, were brought down with the help of ladders. The couple was unconscious, possibly due to smoke inhalation. They were rushed to a hospital. About 12 two-wheelers and four four-wheelers in the two buildings were gutted,” the CFO said.

The officials said the fire fighting operation ended by 4am Friday and the possible cause of the incident could be a short-circuit in the electrical panel of the first building.

Ravi Prakash Singh, assistant commissioner of police, of Ankur Vihar confirmed the death of the woman on Friday afternoon.

“Poonam Sharma succumbed during treatment, possibly due to suffocation and smoke inhalation, and not to burn injuries. The autopsy will be undertaken. Her husband is stable. Four policemen who aided the fire department in rescue also sustained injuries,” the ACP said.