Fourteen flats were severely damaged in a major fire that broke out at Gaur Green Avenue residential society in Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram Wednesday morning, said fire department officials, adding that 10 residents trapped in flats were rescued.
Officials said the blaze erupted in a flat on the ninth floor in Tower D around 8-8.30 am, before spreading to multiple flats. Officials said eight flats in Tower D, from floors 9 to 13, were gutted. The remaining six flats that sustained damage, mostly in the balcony area, were in Tower C.
S K Singh, former Chief Medical Officer of Ghaziabad and a resident of the high rise, said his flat was completely destroyed. Singh, who lived on the 11th floor, said, “We ran for our lives… I had built everything from scratch… We have no fire insurance.”
The society is near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on National Highway 9 in the Abhay Khand area, and is close to the UP-Delhi border near Ghazipur. It has 10 towers and over 7,000 residents.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: A massive fire has broken out at Gaur Green Avenue in Abhay Khand, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/9t5OsoInfL
Sudesh Kumar, the society’s supervisor, said the flat where the fire originated was locked up. “No one lives there; interior work has been going on for the last two years.”
He said around 8.25 am, security guards saw smoke billowing from Flat No. 943. “We… tried dousing the blaze using the society’s fire extinguishers. But it grew out of control and we immediately informed the fire department. They arrived within half an hour. But the water pressure was very low, so we assisted with our fire system. By that time, the blaze had engulfed several flats…,” Kumar said.
Officials are yet to ascertain what caused the blaze.
Residents of the affected building and neighbouring units have been safely evacuated. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)
Two-hour op
According to fire officials, at 8.48 am, the Vaishali Fire Station in Ghaziabad received a call from a resident, Anil, about the blaze.
“Teams rushed to the spot and found the fire raging in flats located on the 9th, 10th, and 11th floors… the entire building was filled with thick black smoke. Several residents were also trapped inside the flats,” officials said.
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Chief Fire Officer, Ghaziabad, Rahul Pal, said over 17 fire-fighting vehicles were dispatched to the spot, including fire teams from Gautam Buddh Nagar. “A man was stuck inside one of the flats. We sent up an oxygen cylinder before safely rescuing him; he was sent to the hospital,” said Pal.
He said since some of the houses were locked, they had to break down the doors to extinguish the flames. “Some people had covered their balconies with plastic sheets, because of which the fire quickly spread to nearby flats. We are ascertaining what caused it,” he added.
It took 70 firefighters, utilising 17 fire tenders/water bowsers and two hydraulic platforms, two hours to completely extinguish the fire, officials added.
The fire started inside an apartment on the ninth floor in one of the towers around 9 am and the fire department was alerted immediately. (Source: Express Video/ Screengrab)
Among those who tried to douse the flames was senior journalist Ajit Anjum. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “I was working on my laptop inside my study, when I saw smoke in my balcony on the 13th floor.”
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He said he looked out and saw a blaze had broken out in a small balcony on the 9th floor. “The wind was strong and the fire had begun reaching my floor as well. I called for help and started filling up buckets, got water pipes and tried to control the fire along with my gardener, a plumber and a friend… We kept pouring water for nearly over one-and-a-half hours…,” he added.
Officials said 22 neighbouring flats were successfully protected from the fire. Some flats sustained partial damage due to smoke and heat, but these areas were subsequently cooled down and fully secured.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported, they said.
Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh.
Professional Profile
Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai.
Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations.
Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities:
1. Environment & Public Safety
"Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans.
"Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people.
"At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital.
"Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents.
2. Crime & Legal Developments
"'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to withdraw charges against the accused.
"After losing money in stock market, bank employee in Ghaziabad withdraws Rs 64 lakh from customers' accounts" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative piece on internal bank fraud and the risks of modern digital embezzlement.
"Woman shot dead by partner in Noida: Three days on, accused still on the run" (Dec 2, 2025): Tracking a high-profile domestic violence and murder case in Central Noida.
3. Human Interest & Features
"'Had tears in my eyes': Army men walk bride down the aisle 20 years after father died in terror attack" (Dec 2, 2025): A moving story about soldiers from a Punjab Grenadiers unit fulfilling a father's duty for his daughter.
"How a Zepto delivery man heard a cry — and saved two kids dumped in Noida drain" (Dec 2025): A viral human-interest story highlighting individual heroism in the city.
Signature Style
Neetika is recognized for her meticulous follow-up on local tragedies. Whether it is a massive pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway or the ongoing construction of the Jewar (Noida) Airport, she focuses on systemic lapses and the safety of commuters. Her crime reporting often explores the psychological motives behind "crimes of passion" and the rising trend of financial cyber-fraud in the Ghaziabad-Noida belt. ... Read More
Residents of the affected building and neighbouring units have been safely evacuated. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)
The fire started inside an apartment on the ninth floor in one of the towers around 9 am and the fire department was alerted immediately. (Source: Express Video/ Screengrab)