Ten people were injured and rushed to the hospital after a fire, triggered by an AC compressor blast, broke out on the first floor of a building in Noida’s Sector 18 on Tuesday morning, fire officials said. One injured person is said to be in a critical condition.
Four people, including two women, jumped from the third and fourth floors of the eight-storeyed building while trying to escape the blaze. More than 150 people were working in the building at the time of the incident.
“A fire broke out on the first-floor office around 11:43 am after a blast in the air conditioner compressor,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.
As the smoke filled the building, people rushed towards the exit on the ground floor, but due to the fire and smoke, they returned to the above floors.
Locals alleged that the fire department reached the spot 30 minutes after the incident. However, additional commissioner of police Shivhari Meena said, “Fire tenders reached the spot within minutes, and we have rescued hundreds of people.”
The fire was controlled after an hour but by then all the windows of the building were broken open by people for ventilation. The identities of the injured people are yet to be ascertained.
