Close shave for couple as fire breaks out in Sec 93 flat

Noida: A fire broke out at a flat on the eighth floor of Parsvnath Society, a highrise in Noida’s in Sector 93, on Wednesday afternoon, completely damaging furniture in almost all the rooms. Fire officials suspect a short-circuit in the air-conditioner in the elderly couple’s bedroom triggered the blaze.
Around 1pm, when GL Mehta (86) and his wife Sudarshan were just about to take a nap, they found smoke emanating from the air-conditioner. Within a few minutes, the air-conditioner caught fire and thick smoke completely enveloped their bedroom.
As the Mehtas shouted for help, several residents, including his son-in-law’s family who lives a floor below, rushed to their rescue and helped the elderly couple move out of the flat. Within minutes, the society’s guards contained the blaze with the internal firefighting equipment.
Sudarshan Mehta’s son-in-law Narender Dureja said, “When the guards and other staff of the society noticed the fire, they immediately tried to douse the flames with the help of the society’s fire extinguishers. Fortunately, we were able to save my parents-in-law. Both of them are with us now.”
According to Dureja, the extent of the damage is yet to be ascertained. The elderly couple has been staying in the rented flat for the past two years.
Chief fire officer Arun Kumar Singh said that though two fire engines were rushed to the spot within 15 minutes, “the fire was contained by then”.
“The blaze was completely doused in another hour,” he said.
There are 644 flats in the society and currently 2,400 residents are staying.
Yogesh Pandey, a resident of the society, said, “In our society, we have a fire tank, a motor pump and related fire infrastructure in the basement and at a centralised place. Each floor has hose pipes to convey water in case of a fire. Around Rs 1 crore was spent in making these fire infrastructure functional.”