Gurugram, March 20 A major fire broke out at a five-story guesthouse in Sector 28 on Friday afternoon, causing panic and chaos.
Police, firefighters, the Haryana State Disaster Response Force (HSDRF), and local residents rescued four people, including three women, who were trapped in the building. They were able to extinguish the fire after an hour of struggle.
According to a fire official, the fire originated from an electrical panel on the ground floor of the guesthouse. It was initially believed to have been caused by a short circuit.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Gaurav Rajpurohit and Assistant Commissioner of Police (East) Vikas Kaushik were present at the scene, the official said.
He said that fire department officials received a call around 1:29 pm stating that a five-story building (No 3401) in Sector 28 had caught fire, with four people trapped inside.
Four fire engines and an HSDRF team were immediately dispatched to the scene.
A senior police officer said that the fire erupted near the main entrance of the building, and smoke spread inside.
The heavy smoke made it impossible to climb up the building from the front, but police personnel and the fire brigade demonstrated courage and reached the first floor using the building's side railings and initiated the rescue operation. They then used ropes, grills, and stairs from the rear of the building to reach the top floor and rescued the trapped people.
"Acting promptly and bravely, the rescue team safely evacuated women and other residents from the burning guesthouse. Due to their swift action, a major tragedy was averted, and the fire was brought under control in time," he added.
The building, rented by a company, has five floors, with four one-bedroom units on each. The rooms were fully occupied at the time, they said.
"The situation was brought under control by around 2:40 pm. The fire was on the ground floor, but the flames had begun spreading to the second floor, raising fears of a major disaster. But our firefighters brought it under control in time. Refrigerators, air conditioners, and other items on the ground floor were destroyed in the incident. The trapped people were rescued," said another fire officer.
A Gurugram Police spokesperson said, "The DCP (East) will give commendation letters to the police personnel, the fire brigade team, and common people who saved lives by entering the burning building."
