A short circuit on the 4th floor started the fire. However, no casualties have been reported.
A massive fire at the rear portion of the fourth floor at Surat’s Trade House located on Ring road caused panic among people. The fire whichg occurred from a short-circuit on the fourth floor soon spread on the entire floor, with smoke engulfing even the fifth floor of the building.
However, fire fighters managed to control the blaze, and rescue 300 people trapped in the building. No loss of lives has been reported.
Due to the short-circuit electrical wirings caught fire and within moments the entire fourth floor was ablaze. It started to spread downwards with shops and offices located even on the ground floor going up in flames.
While fire engulfed the entire fourth-floor, offices on the fifth floor were filled with smoke. Fire fighters, who had rushed to the spot on receiving information, started the rescue work immediately.
“We first asked everybody, who had access to the staircase, to assemble on the terrace as fire had spread all over the ground floor. While few of our men were extinguishing fire on the ground floor, others were rescuing people trapped amid the smoke on the fifth floor,” said fire officer, M Makhijani.
He added that 150 people were rescued by a hydraulic lift from the fifth floor, while an equal number came out by the staircase after the flames were doused. Three people sustained injuries and have been admitted in hospital.
Those rescued by fire fighters claimed that the fire spread so quickly that they had no time to escape. “I was on the third floor in my office, when suddenly electrical wires caught fire. Before I could understand, there was smoke on the floor accompanied by fire. Few people came running and said that the fire is on the ground floor and on the upper floors too.
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