Fire in Vaishali Sector 5 house, 14-year-old boy suffers burns

A fire broke out at a house on the first floor of an apartment building in Sector 5 of Vaishali around 3pm on Tuesday. A 14-year-old boy was injured in the fire. No casualty was reported.

A fire broke out in a residence on the first floor of an apartment building in Sector 5 of Vaishali around 3pm on Tuesday, the fire department said. A 14-year-old boy was injured in the fire, however, no casualty was reported.

Blast in a kitchen cylinder caused the fire. It took two fire tenders over two hours to extinguish the flames. (HT Photo)

According to the fire officials, blast in a kitchen cylinder caused the fire. It took two fire tenders over two hours to extinguish the fire. The building has three floors with one flat on each floor.

“There is a vacant plot just behind the building where there are some shanties. A minor fire was started in the afternoon when those living in the shanties were cooking food. A spark from this fire reached the house and the cylinder caught fire immediately,” Ajay Kumar, fire department official at Vaishali fire station, said.

Occupants of the house had converted their balcony at the rear end of the house into a kitchen, Kumar said.

A woman and her two children were present in the house when the fire started. The fire gradually engulfed the whole building and the first floor house was reduced to ashes.

“All residents of the building managed to escape safely except a 14-year-old resident of the house where the fire started. He was injured and taken to a nearby private hospital. He is being treated for minor burn injuries,” Kumar said.

“The balcony had two gas cylinders — one full and one empty. Residents had covered the space into a kitchen,” he said.