Fire in Pitampura’s 10-storey building, 100 residents saved

Jain said most of the occupants were asleep and they went door-to-door trying to wake up residents.

As many as 100 residents of Tower Heights Apartment in Pitampura were rescued after a fire broke out on the fifth floor of the 10-storey building early Thursday. Firefighters said the building’s fire alarm did not work, and the fire trapped the residents. No casualty was reported in the incident, officials said.

“By the time we returned to his room, the fire had spread. We called up the police and Delhi fire services. Then, my father and I rushed out to alert the other residents of the building,” he said. (HT Photo)

According to Nipul Jain, in whose apartment the fire had started, his father, Narender Kumar Jain, woke up to a short circuit in the air conditioner in his room around 1am. Jain said his father rushed out of his room and woke up others.

“By the time we returned to his room, the fire had spread. We called up the police and Delhi fire services. Then, my father and I rushed out to alert the other residents of the building,” he said.

Jain said most of the occupants were asleep and they went door-to-door trying to wake up residents. “We had also roped in the security guards of the society and neighbours also joined us. In 20 minutes, firefighters arrived and started evacuating people,” Jain said.

Avtar Singh, assistant divisional officer, Delhi fire services, who was the in-charge of the rescue operation, said 13 fire tenders were rushed to control the blaze. “When learnt that those living on floors below the fifth managed to escape, while others ran to the terrace and got stuck on the ninth and tenth floors,” Singh said.

He said when firemen entered the building, they found people stuck on the sixth and seventh floors. “Since the power supply to the building was snapped and as there was too much smoke, the occupants were unable to see anything. Our men used wet towels and handkerchiefs to cover their faces and took them out.”

Singh said the firefighters saved Nipul Jain’s four-year-old dog from his house.

Chief fire officer Atul Garg said the fire fighting system of the building was not working. The fire alarms also did not function.