A massive fire broke out at an air conditioner service centre in Ghaziabad in the early hours of Friday, leaving one elderly man dead and causing extensive damage to property and vehicles. The incident took place in the Patel Nagar area, where explosions from AC gas cylinders and compressors created panic among residents living nearby. Thick black smoke and huge flames were seen rising from the building as firefighters rushed to the spot.
Fire broke out around 3 am
According to fire department officials, information about the blaze at plot number F-87 in Patel Nagar was received around 3:05 am. Soon after the alert, teams from the Kotwali fire station reached the location along with several fire tenders.
When firefighters arrived, the three-storey building was already completely engulfed in flames. Officials said gas cylinders and AC compressors stored inside the service centre were exploding continuously, making rescue and firefighting operations difficult.
The area being densely populated also raised fears that the fire could spread to nearby buildings.
8 fire tenders used to control flames
The fire department immediately launched a large-scale operation to contain the blaze. Firefighters used multiple water lines to stop the flames from spreading further. As the intensity of the fire increased, additional fire tenders were called from Vaishali, Sahibabad and Modinagar fire stations. Around eight fire engines were involved in the operation.
After several hours of efforts, officials finally managed to bring the fire under control.
During the search operation after the fire was extinguished, firefighters found the body of an elderly man on the ground floor of the building. He was later identified as 80-year-old Triloki Nath. The fire also caused heavy damage to the building and nearby vehicles. Two cars and nearly ten motorcycles were completely burnt in the incident.
Officials said the AC service centre reportedly belongs to Omkar Tomar. Police and fire department teams are currently investigating the exact cause of the fire.
(Reported by Zubair Akhtar)
