Six firemen rewarded for saving 250 lives in Noida factory blaze

A team from Noida Phase-1 fire station reached the factory in 5 minutes and saved the life of 250 workers by by creating a bridge between two buildings using ladders

Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate (DM) praised the fire department on Sunday and rewarded eight personnel with Rs 500 each for rescuing at least 250 people from a mishap in a factory recently.

Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate NP Singh rewards fireman for saving lives of factory workers trapped in a fire. (Burhaan Kinu/HT)

The DM also awarded the six men of the Phase-1 fire station — fire safety official Sushil Kumar Yadav, lead fireman Sheeshpal Singh, fire brigade driver Mukesh Babu Gupta and firemen Jitendra Kumar, Ajeet Singh and Devendra Singh — letters of appreciation.

On the afternoon of January 19, a fire was reported in the basement of a two-storey factory in Block A of Noida Sector-4. Around 250 workers were in the building at the time. All of them were rescued by creating a bridge between two buildings using ladders.

On Saturday, HT published reports highlighting the issues and the work done by firefighters.

The DM said the men deserve accolades as their swift action managed to save hundreds of lives.

“We are very proud of each member of the team which carried out the rescue operation and doused the fire in Sector 4. By making a bridge between two buildings and using hydraulic platforms, the officials not only displayed bravery, but also wit and intelligence,” said Gautam Buddh Nagar DM NP Singh.

Singh commended the team for reaching the spot within five minutes. “In such incidents, the time of action plays a pivotal role which has been very well understood by our fire fighters,” he said.

The fire personnel also acknowledged the praise and reward given by the DM.

“At the time of the incident, we only went ahead with our calculations and experience, and only thought of saving all the lives trapped inside the building. It feels good to be appreciated by the DM, though this is our daily duty and we have been trained to serve the people,” said fire safety officer at Noida Phase-1 station Sushil Kumar Yadav.

At least three firemen, including the fire station officer Sushil Kumar Yadav, suffered uneasiness and infection due to the heavy smoke.