E-Paper
12 shops gutted in fire at local market in Crossings Republik Township
13 fire tenders were pressed into service from Kotwali, Vaishali, and Sahibabad in Ghaziabad, and also from nearby Noida to extinguish the fire
Ghaziabad: A dozen roadside shops were gutted in a fire that took place near the Crossings Republik Township roundabout in Ghaziabad on Tuesday morning, fire department officials said, adding that, however, no casualty was reported.
They said that 13 fire tenders were pressed into service from Kotwali, Vaishali, and Sahibabad in Ghaziabad, and also from nearby Noida to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire remains to be ascertained.
The fire department was informed about the blaze by local police as the police personnel rushed to the spot from the nearby Crossings Republik police station, about 50 metres from the incident site, said officials. “The fire engulfed 12 shops near the roundabout area but no loss of life or injury was reported. LPG cylinders kept in shops also exploded in the fire,” Rahul Pal, chief fire officer (CFO), told HT
The market included various shops selling tea, cold drinks, vegetables, daily necessities, and salon.
One of the affected shopkeepers, Lucky Gupta, 30, told HT, “I sell cold drinks, and water at my shop which was fully gutted in the fire, causing me about ₹5 lakh lost. The fire started around 11am on one side of the market and spread quickly due to wind. The fire department arrived after 40-45 minutes. Before them, the local police arrived for help.”
Mohammad Farman, 24, who lost his salon in the blaze, said, “I had been operating here for the last four years and my entire shop was gutted. I could not take out any item. I had just purchased a new air conditioner for ₹28,000 on Monday. It was also burnt. The firefighters arrived about an hour later after the fire started. I lost a considerable amount.”
“Separately, while the fire at the market was being doused, a flat on the 20th floor of a nearby high-rise also caught fire. It is suspected to have sparked due to a short-circuit in the air conditioner. This fire damaged household items kept in the hall of the flat and also stored on the balcony,” the CFO added.
Officials clarified the two incidents though happened one after the other but were unrelated and did not cause any injury or casualty.
The market fire was full extinguished at about in one-and-a-half hours, and the fire at the flat in around 30 minutes, said officials.
Upon the alleged late arrival, the CFO said that the department received a call at 11.12am. “The first fire tender reached the spot within 15 minutes of the call. Thereafter, more fire tenders also came in,” he added.
