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This is an archive article published on May 30, 2022
52 evacuated, five injured after fire breaks out at residential building in Dwarka
The Delhi Police said they will take action as per a complaint in the case. No FIR has been registered yet.
Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. (Representational)
As many as 52 residents of a five-storey apartment building in Dwarka’s Uttam Nagar area were rescued after a fire broke out in the parking lot in the early hours of Monday. Five people sustained burn injuries and were shifted to Safdarjung Hospital.
The Delhi Fire Services dispatched four fire tenders to douse the blaze after they received a call around 1.30 am. DFS chief Atul Garg said it took two hours to rescue residents. “The fire started from an electricity meter board. We had some time to evacuate residents since it was a slow-spreading fire in the basement. We guided people from the lower floors out through the stairs, and evacuated others by sending them to their balconies or the terrace. Cranes were called in to help people come down.” Ten vehicles were gutted in the blaze, said officials.
#Live | Five injured after fire breaks out at Dawarka building; 52 trapped rescued.
Follow #Delhi Live updates for more. https://t.co/vMSeeTs3Uw
— Express Delhi-NCR 😷 (@ieDelhi) May 30, 2022
Residents said the fire was discovered in part thanks to a food delivery executive. Anand, who lives on the first floor, said, “When the deliveryman brought my food around 1.30 am, he informed us about a fire in the parking lot. He helped us alert residents in the area and gather people.”
The blaze caused a thick plume of smoke, which obstructed the stairway that serves as the sole exit of the building. Residents said the heat was so intense that they struggled to get out of their homes. Anand’s mother, Bhavana, whose apartment on the first floor was closest to the fire, said: “I could not even touch the door of my flat as it had become very hot. Even the floor tiles became warm.”
Fourth-floor resident Sanjay Chakraborty said, “We could not even go to the staircase as the smoke was thick and we couldn’t breathe. Even with a torch, I could barely see a foot in front of me.” Chakraborty and other residents on the upper floors moved to the terrace to escape the smoke.
Shivam, who lives on the second floor, alleged that this was not the first such issue involving the meter board: “The last time there was a short circuit, it was quickly sorted. But this time, the fire spread to the vehicles.”
The Delhi Police said they will take action as per a complaint in the case. No FIR has been registered yet.
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