Noida Sector 75: Fire breaks out in 12th-floor flat, family rescued

A fire broke out in a 12th-floor flat of a high-rise residential society in Sector 75 here on Friday morning, following which a family trapped inside was rescued, and the building was evacuated.

Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Gautam Buddh Nagar, Pradeep Kumar, said the fire was caused by a short circuit in an air conditioner.

Officials said the incident occurred around 7 am at Ivy County society in Sector 75, where flames erupted from a flat on the 12th floor of the 28-storey building.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to expedite relief and rescue operations and ensure proper medical assistance, if required, according to an official statement issued in Lucknow.

The chief minister also directed the administration to remain alert at all levels and ensure continuous monitoring of the relief efforts.

Kumar said, "After receiving the information about the fire, the local police and fire service unit immediately reached the spot and started firefighting operations." He said along with fire tenders, a hydraulic platform was deployed at the site.

"Due to the presence of firefighting equipment within the building, our equipment and vehicles were not engaged in the firefighting operation. The fire was possibly caused by the air conditioner's malfunction, or it potentially originated in the flat's 'puja' room. Our personnel entered flats 1203 and 1204 and doused the fire. Six fire tenders were used," Kumar said.

He said the fire service team rescued the husband, wife, and their children who were trapped inside the flat.

"The blaze was brought under control with the assistance of six fire tenders. There was no loss of life," the CFO said. Police said residents evacuated the building via the staircases, and occupants of neighbouring flats were also moved to a safe location as a precaution.

Meanwhile, videos of the Ivy County fire surfaced on social media.

Several users raised concerns that the fire tender's water stream, directed towards the building from the ground level, appeared to reach only the sixth floor, while the fire had broken out on the 12th floor.

Many users questioned whether the Noida fire department, which serves several high-rise residential buildings with towers ranging up to 20 or 30 floors, was adequately prepared to handle such situations.

Responding to the concerns, CFO Kumar said the impression that the fire tender's water jet could reach only the sixth floor resulted from a different operation being carried out at the spot.