20240602 AC blast causes fire in Noida’s IT office, second such blaze in three days
India Jun 02 2024 “Office bldg.”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
AC blast causes fire in Noida’s IT office, second such blaze in three days
Updated: 2024-06-02
NOIDA: A blast in an air conditioner caused a fire in an IT office full of staff in Sector 63 on Saturday afternoon. The flames were doused in about 40 minutes and there were no injuries.
This was the second such blaze caused by an AC blast in three days. On Thursday, a blast in the AC’s indoor unit led to a fire in the bedroom of a flat in Lotus Boulevard in Sector 100. The flames were doused by the society’s emergency team before fire tender arrived.
Chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Choubey said they received a call about the IT office blaze around 2pm. The staff, he said, had evacuated the building before the fire fighters arrived.
“Six fire tenders were engaged in fighting the flames while four others were on standby. The flames were doused in less than an hour. There were no injuries,” he added.
Videos circulated on social media showed flames leaping out of the office windows on the top floor of the building along with thick plumes of black smoke.
“There were people inside the office when the fire broke out. All of them had left the building before the flames started to spread,” Choubey said.
In the wake of fires involving overworked electronic appliances amid shooting temperatures, Noida police came out with an advisory based on UP govt’s guidelines on fire safety measures.
Awareness campaigns have been planned across schools, colleges, residential sectors, gaming zones, hospitals and commercial establishments over the next few days.
The advisory also specified that appliances should be used in turns in establishments such as hospitals and schools, where accidents involved a greater risk. Burning garbage in the open was also prohibited strictly.
“Mandatory fire and electrical audits are now required for gaming zones, business establishments, hotels, and hospitals,” the advisory stated.
ACs, which have been functioning relentlessly because of punishing temperatures this season, must be serviced and maintained regularly so that there are no short circuits, it added.
In the govt directive, local police have also been asked to manage crowds at fire scenes and ensure emergency vehicles have unblocked access. After receiving emergency calls, at least two fire tenders must be dispatched to the spot.
Web Source The Times of India