Ghaziabad (UP), Mar 6 (PTI) A couple succumbed to burn injuries on Friday, three days after a fire broke out in a five-storey residential building in Sangam Vihar area here, police said.
The victims, identified as Rajendra Prasad (54) and his wife Meenu Prasad (52), were among the 22 people rushed to hospital in Delhi following the incident. While 15 victims were discharged the next day, the couple died during treatment.
The fire reportedly started due to a short circuit in the electric panel located in the building’s parking area. Residents of around 40 flats were trapped as thick smoke filled the premises and it took firefighters nearly three hours to bring the blaze under control.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Trans Hindon) Nimish Patil said around 50 firefighters worked to rescue the occupants. The couple’s children, Neetu and Deepak, remain under treatment at Delhi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.
According to the police, the intense heat caused the doors of several flats to jam, forcing rescuers to break them open to rescue those trapped inside.
The fire destroyed more than 42 vehicles in the parking areas. The proximity of the blaze to main exit had made escape difficult for those trapped as smoke engulfed the building, they said. PTI COR NAV SMV AKY
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