Four injured in tenth-floor fire in Ghaziabad

A major fire broke out at a tenth floor apartment of one of the towers at Amrapali Village apartments in Indirapuram on Monday evening

A major fire broke out at a tenth floor apartment of one of the towers at Amrapali Village apartments in Nyay Khand 2, Indirapuram on Monday evening. Police said that an unauthorised garment workshop was being run in the apartment, which also stocked flammable substances like petroleum that is suspected to have triggered an explosion.

The fire broke out in one of the towers at Amrapali Village Apartments in Nyay Khand 2, Indirapuram on Monday. (HT Photo)

According to fire officials, the main reason behind the fire is not clear yet. They said that it broke out at a flat on the tenth floor at around 4 pm. As soon as the residents came to know about it, the central LPG connection was turned off and the fire department informed. Two fire trucks reached the spot at around 5 pm.

Three of the workers present in the apartment at the time were admitted to Shanti Gopal Hospital in Indirapuram by residents, and shifted to Noida’s Fortis Hospital later. One of the workers, though, had to escape the flat by himself and reached the hospital in an autorickshaw.

“At around 4 pm, a burning man rushed from the stairs to the ninth floor and collapsed there. Close to five people heard his screams and came out of their houses, but no one came forward to help. They were busy shooting his video with their mobile phones. My mother immediately got a blanket and put out the fire on his body, after which he was taken downstairs,” said Ishman Singh Kohli, a resident.

Only some of the residents who lived on the floor above the garment factory were aware of its existence. They had repeatedly complained to the maintenance department about it. The high-rise has nearly 1,000 flats and many residents, but maintenance still remains with the developer and has not been transferred to the residents.

“The flat belongs to a software engineer who lives in Lucknow. He had rented it to a tenant who has been running the factory here for the past one year. Every day 15 workers come there to work from 9 am to 9 pm. We have repeatedly complained about the illegal factory to the maintenance department, but no action was taken,” said Asha Aggarwal, one of the neighbours.

The high-rise’s developer, Ajay Kumar, director of Amrapali Group, said that he will soon take action against the flat owner and the tenant.