Noida: Two people died in a major fire that broke out in a five-storey residential building in Mamura village under the Phase 3 police station area in Noida on Tuesday. More than 100 occupants were rescued, while the building owner and the leaseholder have been taken into police custody, officials said.
The deceased, a man and a woman, were rescued in critical condition and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
According to the preliminary investigation, the blaze was triggered by a spark from an electric scooter that was being charged in the basement parking area. The fire quickly spread after nearby petrol-powered vehicles caught fire, engulfing the building in thick smoke.
Police and fire department personnel rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the incident and launched a large-scale rescue operation. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after evacuating residents trapped inside the smoke-filled building.
Eyewitnesses said several people experienced suffocation due to the dense smoke.
Speaking to IANS, a resident, Arnab, said, "At around 11 o'clock, an electric scooter was being charged in the basement parking area. Suddenly, there appears to have been a short circuit, and the scooter caught fire first. The flames then gradually spread to everything nearby. People felt suffocated due to the smoke."
He added that local residents also joined the rescue efforts.
"Locals also assisted with the rescue operations. A few labourers who were working nearby helped the people on the top floors come down through their stairs. Over 150 people were safely evacuated, and the fire tenders are working to douse the blaze," Arnab said.
DCP (Central) Shailendra Kumar Singh said the fire started after an electric scooter parked in the building's parking area caught fire while being charged.
"Today, under the Phase 3 police station area, in a residential building in Mamura sector, an electric scooter that was plugged in for charging in the parking lot caught fire. The fire spread to the nearby area, creating massive smoke that reached the upper floors and rooms of the building," Singh said.
He said police and fire services responded immediately after receiving information about the incident.
"Upon receiving this information, a large force of police personnel along with fire tenders rushed to the spot immediately," he said.
According to Singh, more than 100 people were safely rescued despite the challenging conditions created by the dense smoke that filled the building.
"Over 100 people were successfully rescued and brought to safety. During this, two people fell ill and were transported to the hospital by ambulance for treatment. The status of their health is awaited," he said.
Singh said a case has been registered against the leaseholder and the operator of the building under relevant legal provisions for alleged negligence, and both have been taken into custody.
Further details are awaited.
With IANS inputs