Fire in Prayagraj mall: Firemen save lives of six mall staff

The timely arrival and action by firefighters saved the lives of half a dozen employees of a mall who got trapped inside as a major fire broke out, late on Sunday evening

The timely arrival and action by firefighters saved the lives of half a dozen employees of a mall who got trapped inside as a major fire broke out, late on Sunday evening. The cause of the fire was said to be a blast in the air conditioner installed in the building at Balson Crossing of the city. It took over three hours of intensive work to douse the fire completely, fire officials said.

For representation only (HT File Photo)

Fashion Factory, a mall, was readying to open before Diwali at Balson Crossing. Central air-conditioning was installed in the basement of the building. Reportedly, there was a blast in the compressor of the air conditioning during its testing on Sunday evening. The blast resulted in a fire in the building following which the majority of the staff fled. However, six employees of the mall Vikas, Govid, Tasleem, Vivek, Nayak and Jai Babu were trapped on the first floor while they were trying to douse the flames.

Chief fire officer RK Pandey and his team reached the spot and began rescue operations. Firefighters had a tough time due to the thick smoke which engulfed the building.

Pandey said the six persons trapped inside the building were rescued and there was no casualty in the fire incident. The fire spread to the first floor where many garments were stored. The fire was completely doused in three hours with the help of six fire tenders and a hydraulic platform, he added.