A fire in Noida’s Mamura village has claimed two lives and exposed security concerns. NOIDA: A fire that broke out in a high-rise residential building in Noida on Wednesday, killing two people, has raised serious questions over safety measures.According to news agency PTI, residents alleged that there was no dedicated charging point for electric vehicles and the e-scooter was plugged into a regular socket.Police suspect the fire started when the electric two-wheeler was charging inside a building in Mamura village under Sector 66.The flames later spread to petrol-powered two-wheelers parked nearby, turning the ground floor into an inferno.The fire was eventually brought under control and about 50 residents were safely evacuated. However, the man and woman died from their injuries.The deceased woman was identified as 22-year-old Sneha Srivastava, who suffered nearly 40% burn injuries. The identity of the deceased man, believed to be about 30 years old, has not yet been established. Officials said he suffered about 80% burns.Commissioner of Police Rajeev Mishra said the 1+4 building has 10 to 12 rooms on each floor which are being used as residential apartments.Following the incident, the police arrested the landlord after registering an FIR at the Phase-3 police station under relevant legal provisions.
Residents note security violations
Residents who escaped the fire described chaotic scenes as thick smoke engulfed the building within minutes.Arnab Singh, a resident on the second floor, said many initially believed that the fire was limited to the electric scooter and would go out on its own, PTI reported.“When smoke started pouring out, we jumped out of the building. A little later, we saw the fire spreading and realized that several gasoline-powered motorcycles parked nearby had also caught fire,” he said.Singh alleged that the building did not have a dedicated charging point for electric vehicles.“The scooter was connected to a regular electrical outlet, which was also used to operate the water pump. This could have caused a short circuit, which caused the fire,” he said.
Residents fled through the terrace
Another resident, Ravi Kumar Singh, said he was sleeping when the fire broke out around 11.30 am, PTI reported.“Soon our room filled with smoke. We realized that the flames below had gotten worse and we ran to the terrace,” he said.According to him, several residents escaped by climbing onto the roof and using the stairs to a neighboring house, as the staircases filled with thick smoke.Once they reached safety, they saw that the ground floor parking lot was engulfed in flames.Ravi Kumar Singh said that part of the building was used as paid accommodation for guests and the remaining apartments were rented out to families as 2-room apartments.The ground floor was used as a parking area where residents kept their two-wheelers.
The fire allegedly started while charging an electric car.
Police said preliminary findings indicate that the fire started while the electric two-wheeler was charging and then quickly spread to nearby petrol-powered vehicles.Seven fire crews and a hydraulic platform were deployed to extinguish the fire, with the majority of residents evacuated safely.Police also said two people with pre-existing conditions became ill after smoke inhalation and were transferred to an area hospital.The exact cause of the fire is being established.(With agency participation)