Engineer prevents gas cylinder blast in Gurgaon fire

He managed to move two gas cylinders to safety after a fire broke out in a Sector 31 flat

A 36-year-old civil engineer saved the lives of more than 1,000 residents when he managed to move two gas cylinders to safety after a fire broke out in a flat of Raheja Teachers Apartment in Sector 31, just off the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Thursday.

Sandeep Yadav burnt his hand as he moved two cylinders to safety when fire broke out at Raheja Teachers Apartment. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

After the incident, residents have started calling Sandeep Yadav ‘Superman’, ‘Rambo’ and ‘Hanuman’ as he saved their lives.

“We are thankful to Sandeep as he took the right step. The fire broke out when a lamp was lit near a sacred Tulsi plant kept on the balcony of an apartment,” Anil Yadav, a resident, said.

A resident of an apartment on the fourth floor of the building lit the lamp and left the apartment.The balcony had a washing machine and two gas cylinders. Initially, the washing machine caught fire and it spread to the entire balcony. The occupants of the apartment, however, did not notice the fire.

Residents who were on their morning walks noticed smoke from the balcony and gathered below the flat. Several of them rushed to the flat to put off the fire but no one could enter the balcony as the fire had started spreading.

Sandeep, who lives on the same floor, braved the fire and managed to reach the balcony. He moved the two cylinders to safety before a possible blast, a resident said.

“The situation was do or die. I had to remove the gas cylinders or else there would have been a mishap. There was very little time for reaction as the nozzle was melting. I am loving the tag of Hanuman of the condominium and children are also calling me Superman,” Sandeep Yadav said.

The fire spread to the living room of the apartment before residents managed to douse the flames. There was loss of property but no one was injured in the incident.

Residents said fire officials reached the spot late as no one attended the call at the fire emergency office for 30 minutes. The fire had been doused by the time the fire tenders reached.

Residents said without Sandeep’s quick action the cylinders might have exploded, leading to a disaster.

“Sandeev Yadav saved my family members and other residents of the society by putting his life in danger. There was no help from external sources and the fire officials reached late,” ND Batra, a resident, said.