Ghaziabad Fire Tragedy: Couple Perishes, Dozens Injured in Khoda Colony Apartment Inferno
A devastating fire erupted in a five-storey residential building in Ghaziabad's densely populated Khoda colony late Monday night, resulting in the tragic deaths of two residents and leaving 25 others hospitalized, with three in serious condition. The blaze, which broke out around 11:30 PM on March 3 in the Sangam Vihar area of Birbal Nagar, rapidly engulfed the structure, trapping approximately 150 occupants inside as thick black smoke and intense flames blocked stairwells and elevator access.
Desperate Escapes and Tragic Losses
Firefighters executed a massive rescue operation, evacuating about 120 residents from the burning building. However, a couple residing on the second floor succumbed to severe burn injuries during treatment at a nearby hospital. The victims have been identified as Rajendra Prasad (54) and his wife Meenu (52), originally from Bihar. Their 24-year-old daughter, Neetu, who was found with them in their bedroom suffering severe burns, remains in critical condition.
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture of the night's events. Residents on lower floors resorted to desperate measures for survival:
- Some climbed down from balconies using ropes or knotted bedsheets
- Others jumped from first-floor windows to escape suffocating smoke
- Many barricaded themselves in bathrooms, hoping the smoke wouldn't penetrate
Cause and Construction Concerns
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated from a short circuit in the building's electrical panel on the ground floor. The flames quickly spread to dozens of two-wheelers parked in the ground floor parking area, intensifying the blaze and filling stairwells and corridors with toxic smoke.
In a concerning revelation, fire officials confirmed that the building, constructed in 2019 by Noida-based builder Vivek Rathi, had been erected without obtaining a fire safety clearance. "No fire NOC was taken by the builder," stated Rahul Pal, Chief Fire Officer of Ghaziabad. Authorities have announced they will issue notices and initiate appropriate action against those responsible for this regulatory failure.
Heroic Rescue Operations
Firefighting teams faced significant challenges due to the building's location in a densely packed settlement with narrow lanes that complicated access. More than 10 fire engines and approximately 50 firefighters were deployed to the scene.
"We could see smoke and flames from a distance when we reached the area," recounted Chief Fire Officer Rahul Pal. Fire crews positioned ladders on two sides of the building and conducted floor-by-floor evacuations while simultaneously battling flames in the parking area. The operation required more than two hours to bring the fire under control.
Personal Stories of Survival
The building houses 43 families in compact two- and three-room flats, most of whom were home when the fire broke out around midnight. Individual accounts reveal the terror residents experienced:
Neeraj Kumar, a software engineer living on the first floor with his wife and two young children, described his family's narrow escape: "In a desperate attempt to save them, I wrapped both children in a bedsheet and lowered them from the balcony into the arms of people gathered below. I then helped lower my wife the same way. The heat had become unbearable, so I grabbed some cash and jumped down myself," he explained, suffering only minor injuries.
Pushpa Mahato, a fifth-floor resident, recounted hiding in a bathroom with her mother and brother: "At that moment, I had almost lost hope that we would survive." Her extended family scattered throughout the building, with one brother escaping via rope from the second floor and another hiding in a bathroom on the third floor with his family.
Afroz Ansari, a third-floor resident, described opening his apartment door to find black smoke rushing inside: "The heat from the parking area was so intense that it felt like the fire was right outside the flat." He managed to move to an upper floor before firefighters helped residents exit through the staircase. His pet cat, trapped during the chaos, was later rescued.
Ongoing Investigation and Aftermath
The tragedy has highlighted serious concerns about fire safety compliance in residential constructions in rapidly developing urban areas. The building's design, with closely built apartments and narrow access lanes, significantly hampered rescue efforts. Fire officials have emphasized the importance of proper fire safety certifications and emergency preparedness in multi-storey residential buildings.
As investigations continue, the community mourns the loss of Rajendra Prasad and Meenu while praying for the recovery of their daughter Neetu and the other injured residents. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of fire safety regulations and emergency preparedness in urban residential developments.
